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Breaking the Silence ~ Weaning off Effexor

Depression· Healthy Living

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I haven’t said much about something big going on in my life…and I admit, I haven’t said it because of fear. When I started googling for help and not finding many blogging about it, but finding plenty of message boards and medical sites speaking to this subject, I knew God was placing on my heart the need to share more.

I have been very open on my blog about my struggles with depression, I have shared things that have helped me practically speaking, and I have shared encouragement for those finding themselves struggling. I have been open about the fact that I take medication and feel that God has used the depression and the medication to humble me and to show me my desperate need for Him as well as the admission that I really am not in control.

So, I want to share that I have successfully used Lexapro and Effexor over the years – the 2 that have worked best for my depression symptoms. I would say I have tried 7-8 in all. Weaning off any of the others has never been a problem.

Weaning off Effexor has been a bear, to put it lightly. Weaning off Effexor has pretty much rocked my world. It’s been hard, very hard. And I’m not there yet, so be nice. 🙂

The main reason I am weaning off of Effexor is that it scares me. In August of 2012, I had 2 days of very scary vertigo type symptoms – that’s what I thought it was. Dizziness, headaches, severe lightheadedness, nausea. When I finally realized (weeks or maybe months later) what it was, it scared me.

I had missed ONE day of my Effexor meds. ONE DAY. It scared me to think that a tiny pill was having that much control over my body.

I do have a few other very slight side effects that are annoying, and those have played into this decision as well.

My biggest symptoms from weaning off Effexor

  • lightheadedness – all.day.long – it’s the worst
  • dizziness
  • nausea
  • anxiety – feeling pretty overwhelmed constantly too
  • a little more weepy than usual
  • tired, very tired (but that could be the benadryl and dramamine I’m taking! ha!)

The other thing I want to point out is that *most* regular family practitioner type doctors do not have any clue that this med is hard to get off of. As I have googled, I have found person after person whose doctor told them just to wean off it for 1-2 weeks and you’ll be fine. My own doctor, that I do love, is unaware of how horrid this weaning process is too.

I share all of this because I know if I was googling about coming off Effexor, there will be others, and I want them to find this post and know that they aren’t crazy and they aren’t losing their minds.

It is really hard for me to talk about this “in real life,” not because I don’t have wonderful friends to talk to, but because if you haven’t been there yourself, I am sure I sound like a big whiny baby! And I really don’t want to be a complainer, but if I start talking about this crazy withdrawl stuff, I know I will start complaining. ha!

On one site I found online, someone said that coming off Effexor is harder than coming off of heroin. LOL! Not that I would know.

I was afraid to reach out and share this on Facebook because I have been such an advocate for using meds that I don’t want people to think I’ve changed my mind or that I don’t fully believe there is a time or place for these anti- depressants. I think Effexor is one of the most powerful drugs, and I’ve already told my husband that I’m not afraid to go back on something in a few months if I can’t live happily without it. Honestly, I am so overly sensitive while I’m in the middle of this weaning that I knew I could not open myself up to criticism on facebook. (Yes, I’m already a sensitive person. ha! If you know me I’m sure you’re thinking how could I possibly get any MORE sensitive! LOL!)

But it will not be Effexor that I go back on. Lexapro is the other med I was on long term and it never had this effect on me.

I also have been trying very hard to live a more healthier lifestyle, so my hope and prayer is that some of these natural supplements (I’m using Young Living Essential Oils & their super fruit supplement NingXia Red currently) can replace the meds I was on. I’ve been exercising regularly for several months now, probably the longest I’ve ever been consistent with any type of movement. (Thanks to my SIL down the street !)

What I’ve Read That Can Help

I also wanted to share with you another lovely blogger that shared about her experience in coming off Effexor, Jayme from Tales from the Coop Keeper.  I have read her blog for ages, she is so funny and down to earth – and she has chickens. 🙂 But, when I read about her experience coming off effexor, I knew I had to write about it also. We have to share our stories so that others don’t feel alone. Her blog helped encouraged me, I want to do the same for others.

Finally,I was going to share with you a few message board links of the horrid stories people have written while weaning off Effexor. But, I didn’t want to scare my sweet readers. (I’ve read reports of people being hospitalized coming off it!) So, I will just say, if you are feeling courageous, just go and google “weaning off effexor” or such…don’t say I didn’t warn you. 🙂

My biggest piece of advice: if there is ANY way you can AVOID starting this med, PLEASE DON’T TAKE IT. I know there are those of us that need these meds to survive, if that is you, of all people, I know you have to do what you have to do. But I would recommend trying any and all options before you try effexor.

And if you already are one it and trying to wean: take a deep breath. Just realize that this is going to be hard. Accept the fact that you may need to accept help from others. Knowing is half the battle. 🙂

In closing, I want to thank you for reading. Thank you for sharing this post with anyone you know who may be struggling. I hope and pray that you don’t feel alone on this journey. That is why I share.

3 Years Off of Anti-Depressants

I would love for you to read an update now that I have been off all of my anti-depressants for 3 years and am thriving. God has been so good to me. My mindset has changed. My health has changed. We are never truly hopeless if we have Christ. We have the power of the Holy Spirit living within us giving us the power to make the steps necessary to BE TRANSFORMED.

My Journey Off of Anti-Depressants

My wellness journey & 51 pound weight loss! 

More posts on depression:

**I am not a medical doctor, a psychiatrist or anything of the sort. I’m just a regular mom sharing my experience with using this med and coming off it.  

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Comments

  1. Bless your heart. I’m so sorry that this is happening. Let me know if you need anything. Love you and praying that these symptoms will not last long!!!

    Reply

  3. I was on effexor for a while Candace. I read those horror stories you mentioned when I was trying to find a new med. that was less costly. I pray you can win this battle soon. Thanks for sharing.

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  5. I will be praying for you. I weaned off of Cymbalta not that long ago, and it was really awful. My doctor didn’t even prescribe the “Prozac bridge,” which helps taper off better. It is a capsule instead of a pill so you can’t cut it. I had taken Zoloft a couple years prior, and weaning off of that was still hard as well, but it wasn’t quite as bad as my experience weaning off Cymbalta. I should have trusted my instinct not to even try another SSRI, but since I have distinct depression with my Fibromyalgia my doctor was insistent. I wasn’t on it long before I knew what you realized – if you even miss one day it is horrible! I know how hard it is. I was sick for almost a month. Benadryl did help some and resting as much as possible. I tried to stay off medication, but I am now back on Wellbutrin. I am just somebody who needs it. I’ve tried every natural alternatives, and they’re just not enough unfortunately. Wellbutrin doesn’t give me the side effects that the other two did. Thank-you for sharing your experience! People really do need to know!

    Reply

    • Emilee, I love how your name is spelled, btw. 🙂 I’m sorry you’ve had such struggles also. It is so hard. Thank you for sharing your story here, too. I appreciate you stopping by and commenting.

      Reply

      • I am going through the effects of weaning off my cymbalta too because I have fibro. My husband lost his job and benefits so I had no choice but to go off of it.
        Im glad I read about this here. Thank you Candace and Thank you Emilee.
        🙁
        Veronica

        Reply

    • I am 52 and have been on Effexor since 2004. Trying to come off of it, I am on my second week and tonight anxiety, hot sensitivity, dizziness, anger are all coming out- This is so hard.

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  6. Candace, Please do not feel that you that you are being whiny. I definitely think you are brave to post about your struggles and you are helping people out there by posting. Each one of these drugs can react differently to different people. I had a bad reaction to one particular SSRI that I tried to switch to over a year ago. I literally thought I was going crazy. I know what works for me(Paxil CR) and I am coming to terms with the horrible weight gain that this drug is known for. I tell my doctor that I am not going to try anything else and just stay “fat and happy”. LOL! Hang tough and ask for help from your family and friends if you need it. 🙂

    Reply

    • Thank you so much, Lisa! The weight gain is so discouraging. 🙁 I wish there was a “one size fits all” but I know that’s now it works. Thanks for stopping by…

      Reply

  7. I was on this for over 15 years. I have been Effexor free of for 9 months. The vertigo effects that I felt we’re unbearable, the effects that I felt raising my family or working – would send me back to dosing – just to get through the day. I would be sick, in-bed sick – that I couldn’t even function – life would stop if I didn’t take it. I couldn’t cook; take care of my kids, work or drive. My doctor too wasn’t aware of the side-effects and the withdrawal, nor did he share it with me when he
    prescribed it to me 15 years prior with a stint of depression due to a slump in
    life. I was just shy of my 30th birthday when I begin taking Effexor, needless to say it stole the best of years of my life. I wasn’t’ able to use generic either, it just didn’t work the same way and I would get the ever dreaded brain zaps. My insurance provider stopped paying for it; my mail order pharmacy stopped carrying it. This left me no other choice but to create a plan to stop taking it. I didn’t have to look too hard to find 100’s of people just like me struggling at getting off of it. I must have stopped and started a 100 times. It was
    all of the research that I had made; learning from the trials of others that
    helped me build a plan to get off it. I wasn’t a cold turkey kind of girl; so it was a near six month journey. I learned too in the process of being off of
    it; that I’m not depressed and I’m happy. Life has ups and downs and I’m not always supposed to deal well through it. I’ve learned to feel again, it’s
    strange. I feel like I’m living life and not just going through the emotions – emotionless. Effexor made me selfish and impacted my ability to have empathy for others. Life isn’t a fog anymore; life is in its realest form and being able to feel true emotion had to be re-learned. It was the rawest form of sensory overload. In the weaning process I cried a lot because with Effexor, it took away my ability to experience real life; like sadness, joy, pain and happiness. I
    was getting used to being me again. On Effexor I just couldn’t experience the joy in anything. This would only make sense ONLY to someone else on Effexor. I had lost my sense of touch, taste and smell; Yes Effexor deadened those senses. I learned to be OK with not being perfect (not that I ever was), I’m learning to love myself, flaws and all. You will see this when you go off it your senses will slowly begin to return; it was then I realized the effect of Effexor on my senses. I also have noticed that my sense of security returned. I can
    truly love unconditionally and stopped being so hard on myself. Fish oil with Vitamin D and chew-able b-12 (Mason $3 a bottle at Big lots) was the saving grace that helped me through it and my vitamin and nutrient therapy.
    Lots of water, healthy diet – it all helped me thru the detox. In the last year I was down to the lowest dose of 37.5mg. I begin taking the capsules apart and begin bead reducing. Slowly, just reducing 5 beads a week at a time, till I was down to just one bead; then I went down to one bead every other day, every two days, three days and so on till the side effects were to a bearable level. For about three months I had some “mild” side-effects, but nothing I couldn’t bridge.
    Instead of re-dosing; I just take fish oil or my chew-able B-12(which is
    very effective with brain zaps). My freedom from Effexor totally was when I was able to flush the remaining pills down the toilet. I was committed from that day
    forward to be Effexor free. I’ve learned that I can manage stress better, work better, cope better, think better, I’m a better mom, wife and friend. I set goals
    and actually meet them, I have energy, I have NO anxiety anymore, I have
    confidence. I’ve also learned that it’s ok to have a balance of happiness and sadness as this is just part of life. It’s OK to not always have it
    together. It’s OK if you need a break – from life, kids or family. In this
    process I’ve learned that I’ve created my own identity, without the approval or
    intervention of anyone or anything. Your journey is a bridge to freedom and it will be totally worth it, life as you know it off Effexor will be truly changed for the better. Your courage in sharing your story is very brave. To this day I struggle sharing my story publicly. God will be with you on this journey to being Effexor free and you will never look back from it. Thank you for sharing. It was through people like you brave enough to take your story to a public forum that helped me shake this deadly drug. God be with you on your journey.

    Reply

    • Thank you so much for sharing your story. I’m so sorry it has been so hard for you also. I’m going to try the vitamin B, haven’t done that yet. Thank you.

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      • Someone who loves and supports me sent this to me this am as Im going through a struggle I had no real clue how hard it would be and get. After 5years Today is my 5th day Effexor free… I’m a mom of 3 amazing children
        And it echoed everything I have been feeling about this entire experience.
        From why I decided to stop this medication to how the doctors act when your scared and they are clueless to the symptoms to desperately wanted to share my story! And WARN everyone I could…. My friends strangers and those who…. Well just everyone
        It hit so close to home for me that when tying to read it to my friend and current babysitter (me &Amy children currently need one) I stopped 2xs to gather myself and my tears….
        I loath crying in front of people
        😭
        I’m not sure if this is even coming out right due to my blurred vision and spinning… (Tears are adding just a little cloudiness) but I had to just say something.. Bc these post are from 2013! And it’s now June 2016!
        Thank you and know what you did then made a difference in someone life today!
        God bless you both

        Reply

        • I know how you feel, it’s so releasing to me to find a post from 2016. I have read many but unable to find any recent ones. I have been trying to taper, currently at 112 mg. I’m so afraid to taped anymore, I went through months of nasty withdrawals and I still don’t feel normal. I want off effwxor, I just don’t know how I’m going to do it. God bless you!

          Reply

    • My MIL spent some years on anti-depressants and Effexor may have been one of them. But it took away her ability to really feel. When my FIL died it took her almost a year to really cry and I think the anti-depressants were part of that.

      Reply

        • I’m on day 8 and feeling alright. A bit grouchy and more emotional but doing well considering. I tapered from 150 down to 75mg for 1 month, then to 37.5 for a month (actually 22 days, still have a small reserve for “just in case”)and finally down to zero MG a day. I feel my vision has been effected pretty bad, sensitivity to light and blurriness. Also, nauseated with dizziness. Dramamine has been a huge help. It’s not been easy but compared to others from my Google searching I’d say I’m doing alright. Lots of prayers and dramamine can be thanked for my success this far. I believe it’s okay to need help medicinally(but also believe in learning coping skills as well) but I regret not knowing more about what I was putting into my body and my lack of information about the effects of this drug. Prayer has been my rock and I feel better every day!

          Good luck

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    • I have noticed that since I’ve stopped taking it -that my senses are returning and vivid. It’s taken me a while to start really feeling again as It took away my ability to feel deeply and deal with real emotions – my first week Effexor-free was a very emotional time. It was like the 15 year cry had been restricted all those years and it all came down all at once. My sense of touch returned and so did my sensitivity. For example, I now cry at sad sappy movies; while on Effexor never. I would cry when I was on it, but many times it was just out of frustration; but never really due to sadness. I found too that I didn’t grieve, when I lost my husband, both my grandparents during this time. I have allowed myself to grieve now, which is after-the-fact, but truly essential to heal from it. My reflection is much more sharper now that I’m off of it. Which is why I can be so candid about it now. I hadn’t had a good laugh/or cry for over 15 years. Having my emotions unleashed feels good. Candace, again your story is inspiring and thank you so much for sharing it. It takes courage to really bear your soul about this.

      Reply

      • She also has a site called Fresh Bites Daily and I subscribe. Lately I have been getting a series called Good Day STratagies where she writes about ways to have more good days when struggling with depression. I think if you subscribe to her newsletter at Fresh bites you will have opportunity to get this other one as well.

        Reply

      • I am weaning off, and came across your post on Pinterest. It’s been years for you now, so please tell me…… how long did you suffer through the withdrawals? I’m over the terrible physical withdrawals, but I’m struggling through intense moods

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  9. Candace, God bless you for your courage and for trusting in Him. I do not have experience with depression. But, what I am so glad about is how open you are trying to be about your experiences because I know that it is helping another woman out there. That is one thing I like about blogs that “keep it real”–it is always helpful to someone else going through the same thing.
    God bless!
    Your sister in Christ,
    Stacie

    Reply

    • Thank you for your encouragement, Stacie. I agree wholeheartedly, we help each other when we share our struggles! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂

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  10. Candace–You are brave and I applaud you for your willingness to be authentic and vulnerable. I will pray for this transition and that God will show you great things through it. May His presence give you strength and peace. <3

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  11. Just wanted to drop a comment to let you know you’re not alone. I am at the end of weaning off Celexa (along with Amitriptyline for my migraines). My dr prescribed it for postpartum anxiety. It has been sooo hard! I cut way back over a couple months before stopping, and it has still probably been the hardest thing I’ve had to endure medically.

    Reply

  13. It’s exactly as Pamela said! My whole heart aches at her story, and the countless lives that are being wasted on this drug. I was on it for over three years. The withdrawal was awful, but as Pamela said, I came ALIVE afterward. I didn’t realize how dead I was emotionally. I went to my doctor and mentioned that “this time last year” she put me on the meds. She looked at me strangely and said, “that was three years ago”. I had no idea. I completely lost those years. I was there, living them, my kids got bigger but I was checked out. After being off the meds for a while. Dots my husband I’d rather be alive and miserable than dead emotionally. The one thing that has helped me tremendously is B vitamins, and God of course. I was terrified but I couldn’t ignore His prompting to get off the medication. I told Him that I believed He wouldn’t let my foot slip, just as David said. I have had a few nights where I called out to God and reminded Him that He is the one who has to hold me up, because I cannot do it. But overall I have been happy and LIVING my life. God is GOOD, and He can and WILL sustain you. “He will by shield and portion be, as long as life endures. Then sings my soul, my savior God to thee How great Thou art!”

    Bless you, and thank you for speaking out. I will pray for you, and the symptoms will go away, and you will be very happy you are done with it.

    Reply

  16. I am currently on day three of the weaning off process that my doctor prescribed… I’ve experienced all of the awful withdrawal symptoms that come with missing even just one dose, and I must say, that simply lowering my regular dose is really not much different than missing it entirely. Getting off of Effexor (I call it “the devil’s drug), is anything but easy… and, like everyone else says, you cannot possibly begin to understand what it’s like, unless you’ve been on it, too. We’ve got to be strong, and rely on our faith… If God has lead us to it, he will us through it, and we can definitely benefit from the support and love of those around us. I am literally bedridden right now, on account of this, and doing a lot of reading on the topic. So glad I found your blog, and I commend you on your bravery in talking about this difficult experience / topic. Stay strong, and continue to be open about it. God bless you.

    Reply

  17. I went through a similar experience about 9 years ago when I went off Zoloft. It was the most horrible thing I ever went through! I still shudder when I think about the withdrawal effects of that medication. Since that time, I have treated my depression and fibromyalgia with exercise, natural supplements, improved diet, and lots of prayer. My depressive episodes tend to hit hardest during the winter, but you couldn’t pay me to go back on Zoloft and live that nightmare again!

    Reply

    • I’m just curious…if you girls suffer from depression, why would you want to get off your meds? The depression will just come back. Is it to go onto another medication or just to quit completely?

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      • Laurie, hi and thanks for stopping by! Many times, anti-depressants have many side effects that are less than pleasurable. Each person definitely has to weigh out whether it’s worth it to continue the meds or try something different. For one med that worked for me, there was also a high cost jump when our insurance changed that forced me to try something different. So, there are lots of reasons why people need to wean off these meds. I actually haven’t had to go back on anything after a few months of being off Effexor. I would willingly go back on if I needed to, but I am praising God that I haven’t had to! I actually have been feeling GREAT. So, just because you struggle at one point, doesn’t meant that depression will *always* come back. Praise God!!

        Reply

  18. Michelle, thank you so much for sharing. I appreciate all your comments and can relate to SO many of them!! So good to know we aren’t alone, isn’t it??

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  19. Hi Candace, I found your blog when The Busy Mom shared your homeschooling link on Greece and the Olympics. My biggest issue over the years has been anxiety (although I have had bouts with depressions as well) and when I lost my insurance, I had to go off of my generic form of zoloft. It’s been so hard, even though I had a few left to sort of wean a little bit. Currently, I’m trying a natural supplement which does help a little.But not completely…although to be honest, my anxiety had begun to increase this past year even when I was still on them. I understand how hard it is to deal with both anxiety or depression and then have to deal with side effects of meds and or being addicted to them. Thank you for being brave and sharing your story with others so that we don’t have to feel alone in our struggles! (And if you wouldn’t mind praying for me, I would so appreciate it. I will say a prayer for you, too!)
    ~Tammy

    Reply

  20. My sister battles depression and has noticed probiotics help along with some other things but I’m not sure what they are. One thing her and I have found out is that the gut and brain work together very much. There are books out there that talk about this. I had a very deep depression for a couple years. The Lord used the Be In Health teachings to set me free. http://www.beinhealth.com I would encourage all who battle depression to go to their meetings.

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  21. I am on day 2 now; completely Effexor free. I was on it for 3 years, 150 mgs. a day. I have never been pro medicating, but somehow allowed a PA to persuade me that this drug was what I needed at a difficult time in my life. I was working graveyards as a 911 dispatcher. It was not a good fit, and definitely taking a toll on my mental & physical health. I started taking the meds, quit that job, and felt pretty good for awhile. However, I too became really frightened by the horrifying symptoms that would occur if I missed just one dose. I decided that I could no longer jeopardize the health of my brain & nervous system by continuing to take Effexor. I have been tapering off for about 5 months now, slowly dropping down the dosage as much as my body could handle. Now that I am completely off of it, I have been experiencing: slight nausea, mild vertigo, insomnia, extremely weepy at times, angry at others, and have had bouts of unbearably itchy skin. Again, only day 2, but I made it. I am not going back. I have the bottle of Effexor beads that I have pulled out, half a bottles worth, sitting by my bed to remind me of how awful it has been.

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  22. Hi to you all…. I definitely understand all you are sharing. Anxiety has been my “thorn” since I gave birth to my first born. Anxiety and depression go hand in hand and are really one and the same… just depends on how it effects each person individually. One thing that doctors often miss is the thyroid. The thyroid controls every aspect of your body. Doctors will only usually check your TSH blood work, which is a pituitary hormone… this stimulates your thyroid gland to release T4 (thyroid hormone) which is then converted into T3, the absorbable form into your body. If the Doctor fails to check your T4 and T3 through blood work and only check your TSH…. hypo/hyperthyroidism can go undiagnosed and symptoms (there are hundreds, including fibromyalgia) are diagnosed as something else! Anxiety and Depression are 2 of those symptoms that can be caused from an issue with the thyroid gland (whether it’s low or high- doesn’t matter- I’m hypo and I have anxiety). I am living with this issue and it is a long road to recovery…. I have been through the worst time of my life in the past 18 months…. I thought it was bad before when I would have boughts of the anxiety over the past 10 years… but thank goodness for medication that helped me then when my children were babies and young. Now that I realize that it is my thyroid and that it has been undertreated all these years at least I have wisdom and a direction now…. still difficult but by hopefully correcting some vitamin deficiency and level out my thyroid levels with proper thyroid meds… I hope I am on the road to recovery…. Anyway the point of me sharing this, ladies is please get your thyroids checked properly… insist on the T3 / T4 blood test and not just the TSH- do your research! I realize that sometimes it is just an issue of chemical imbalance and antidepressants are needed and helpful- I’ve been on them many times- some helpful, some not…but cover your bases- don’t be afraid to research and question your doctor:) Only by God’s grace can we get through this- and thank God for that.

    Reply

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  24. I know this comment is late, but in case it helps anyone else who’s just finding your blog as I am (thank you for so many beautiful, encouraging, truthful posts)…

    I too struggled when weaning from Effexor. Long story short: I was actually on three anti-depressants the second time (because of course, even when one stops helping you feel better, you still feel WAY WORSE when you try to stop taking it…so my doctor just added different ones). And I knew it would be awful to stop taking them. But I knew they weren’t helping me, either. [Turns out my depression issues were largely thyroid-related, even though my thyroid numbers were “normal.” If anyone wants to look into that possibility, Stop the Thyroid Madness is a great place to start.]

    Anyway. I still don’t really know how I found it (except I firmly believe it was a literal Godsend), but I found myself at a website called The Mood Cure (by Julia Ross). And then I found the book in my local library system. Which, from the title, sounded like it might be a crock (at least that’s what I thought, lol), but the author is a proponent of healthy diet (including natural fats and lower sugar) and natural amino acid supplements. And I was ready to try just about anything. And so I went to my local vitamin shop. And I was amazed: the supplements helped me more within a week than any of the 5 or 6 different antidepressants had helped me during my 10 years of struggling with depression. And, even more amazingly, they helped me wean off of my three anti-depressants — including Effexor — almost symptom-free, and much faster than I expected as well. And to add to the benefits, the supplements are safe and non-addictive. [The book is also what helped me start learning about my thyroid and adrenal issues. Lots of great information that’s unfortunately not readily available from our docs.]

    I know this won’t be the solution for everyone, but I’m hopeful that it might at least help someone else out there like it helped me.

    Thank you again for your willingness to share your journey. It helps more than I can say.

    Reply

  26. Thanks for sharing! I have issues but not sure what’s causing what. I am new at blogs & unsure if I need to subscribe to each of your write ups & articles. Maybe you can shed some light on this for me. I wish you the best for I know how a long issue can take it’s toll on you. You will be in my prayers!!! Thanks, Rebecca

    Reply

  27. Hi, I am 18 years old and have been dealing with many forms of mental illness for most of my life. I have been on just about every anti depressant available, anti psychotics, mood stabilizers, ptsd meds, etc. My doctor just prescribed Effexor to me: 75mgs, once a day, increasing to two a day after two weeks. He did NOT mention anything about the withdrawals or side effects, go figure :/ I have only been taking it for two days and I feel like my mood has improved already!? I’ve never had, in all my attempts at medication, found something that had an effect on me this quickly. However, reading these stories of horrific withdrawals is making me very apprehensive to continue. I really wanted this to work for me but I have been through withdrawals before and I couldn’t get out of bed for weeks. It was Hell. I also am noticing side effects already, biggest one is nausea and jitters when I wake up. The first day I took it (before bed) I vomited the next morning. I’ve been through plenty of nasty side effects, withdrawals, and a suicide attempt with an overdose of pills so I’m pretty good at tolerating sickness, but this all sounds really extreme. I’m so bummed right now. I guess I’m wondering if this is worth to take. Worth the pain in the end. Hope someone sees this. And congratulations on getting better and coming off meds. ❤️

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  28. Hi Candace-I just randomly found your site when looking up getting off Effexor.I slipped back into a deep depression in January when finding that my daughter was making some very bad decisions while at college-it’s a long story.I was taking Wellbutrin and celexa for probably sixteen years for a previous depression with much success.When this happened I found a psych doc who put me on Effexor.This has done nothing for me but make me worse and the side effects especially with my vision have been awful.I so want off this.My husband and I are looking at TMS as a possible treatment so I can get off this awful stuff but I won’t be able to do that for a few more months.Please pray for me as I have been suicidal more than once and am afraid my vision is ruined forever.If anyone else had vision problems that went away after getting off it would be great to know.Thank you so much and God Bless You

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  29. My husband has been on Effexor for years and we also are afraid of it! He are into more natural ways of health and wellness now so he decided to ween off of it with a doctors help. We had no clue what we were getting into. He gave him a one month weening schedule and it has gone terribly wrong. My husband is a paramedic and can’t even go to work lately because of how bad his withdrawal is. I’m glad I found this blog post and maybe it will encourage him.

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  30. Hi! I was looking for like-minded bloggers…(and inspiration for my blog name!) I’ve only been blogging a year and I’m narrowing down my niche a bit to talk about depression and other mental or biochemistry challenges! ; D I’m also writing from a Christian perspective. I wanted to see how others do it, and I am liking what I see on your site! You have so many posts and they all look fascinating. Thanks for being candid about your struggle with this medicine! Weaning off of Zoloft has been difficult for me.

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