Day 70: Addendum

When people suddenly stop using EFFEXOR XR, they can get symptoms from stopping the medicine too fast.

Seeing as it's, well, DAY 70 of my tapering off and I'm having such violent reactions, I'm going to make a bold statement and say that there is NO SUCH THING as slow enough. The "too fast" in the Wyeth statement above slyly places the blame on the consumer, rather than the manufacturer. Jerks.

Day 70

Took my final dose (10 mg) this past Saturday, and today, I feel as if I'm not in physical control of much of anything above my shoulders. My mind is clear-ish, but my brain is being violently shocked, and I'm dizzy, nauseated, twitchy, and in a great deal of pain from a stabbing headache. Would very much like to go out to find something to eat, but I'm having a great deal of difficulty standing up and walking in a straight line.

When all of this is finally exorcised from my body, I will make it my sworn mission to let people - friends, strangers who stumble across this account on the internet, anyone who needs to know, that they should never even contemplate starting to take Effexor XR, because no matter any benefits it may have, the withdrawal is too large a price to pay.

Day 1

Sex: Yes
Tears: Yes (Of happiness, though - the sex was good, and I met my pals' brand new baby.)
Booze: 1 Martini
Sleep: Woken by the larger dog at 7-ish a.m. No naps.
Exercise: 35 min. Dog Walk / Installed A/C
Mood: Variable. (Good movie, good company, good dinner, good sex, bad PMS)
Effexor Dose: OJ Method (.9 Glass of 10oz OJ w/ 150mg Effexor XR = approx 135mg)

Wyeth sez...

http://effexorxr.com/faqs.asp#10

What happens when I stop using EFFEXOR XR?
Symptoms are known to occur when people stop using EFFEXOR XR, especially when they suddenly stop therapy.

When people suddenly stop using EFFEXOR XR, they can get symptoms from stopping the medicine too fast. Some of these symptoms include:

Agitation Anxiety Confusion Diarrhea Dizziness or vertigo Dry mouth Fasciculation (muscle twitching) Headaches Hypomania Impaired coordination Insomnia (trouble sleeping) Loss of appetite Nausea

Nervousness Nightmares Seizures Sensory disturbances (including electric shock sensations) Somnolence (sleepiness) Sweating Tinnitus Tiredness Tremor Unpleasant mood Vomiting

Do not stop taking EFFEXOR XR without talking with your doctor first. Your doctor may want to slowly decrease your dose of EFFEXOR XR to help avoid these kinds of symptoms.