Medical professional symptoms and conditions

This is to serve as a personal warning to ANYONE taking
Effexor XR or thinking about taking it.

After my husband and I experienced HORRIBLE withdrawal symptoms within a week from coming off of our medication, and has continued for 4 months now. I feet compelled to inform people about the risks that this drug carries with it.

This drug helped my husband and I immensely while we were on it, but I just wish that I had been more knowledgeable about the risks of going off this medication so abruptly.

I understand that the medical professional that is prescribing you the drug is supposed to inform you that you are not to stop taking the medication abruptly (which is exactly what I was told). IN NO WAY was I told the consequences of NOT taking the medication.

So here are some of the symptoms that I experienced within the first two days (there are many more symptoms that other Effexor XR patients have experienced, but I feel that it is only right to list mine):

• Akathisia - a syndrome characterized by unpleasant sensations of "inner" restlessness that manifests itself with an inability to sit still or remain motionless.
• Ataxia – Loss of the ability to move the body with coordination.
• "Brain Zaps", "Brain Shocks," "Brain Shivers" or "Head Shocks" Descriptions include dizziness, electric shock-like sensations, sweating, nausea, insomnia, tremor, confusion, and vertigo.
• Cold Sweat – The skin is clammy and moist and you feel chilled. This is a reaction to a shock or pain as well as to fear and nervousness.
• Colitis – A condition where the large intestine becomes irritated from the use of the drug.
• Dehydration – An extreme loss of water from the body or the organs of the body as in sickness or not drinking enough fluids.
• Depersonalization - A feeling of watching oneself act, while having no control over a situation. (A sufferer feels that he or she has changed and the world has become less real, vague, dreamlike, or lacking in significance.)
• Diplopia – A condition where a person is looking a one object and instead of normally seeing just the one object he sees two. This is also call double vision.
• Disequilibrium - Dizziness, light-headedness and vertigo with a sense of losing balance.
• Dysarthria – The inability to control the mouth muscles when forming words so the words are not clearly spoken and heard.
• Gastric Irritation – An inflamed and sore stomach.
• Hyperhidrosis – The triggering of an excess of sweat being produced on the soles of the feet and/or the palms.
• Hypoesthesia – A partial loss of sensation or general loss of awareness.
• Influenza-like - Fatigue, lethargy, chills, sweating, headache, weakness and palpitations.
• Insomnia – Not able to fall asleep or sleeping for a shorter time than desired, thus not being able to properly rest and feeling un-refreshed. As a result, a person can become irritable, have difficulty concentrating and feel a lack of energy.
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome – A painful condition where the either the muscles or the nerves of the lower intestines, are not responding normally. This results in an alternating condition of diarrhea followed by constipation, back and forth.
• Mania – Unusually irrational, excessive and/or exaggerated behavior or moods ranging from enthusiasm, sexuality, gaiety, impulsiveness and irritability to violence.
• Mood Swings – An emotional shifting as from a state of happiness to a state of depression for a period of time.
• Night Sweats – With night sweats you become wide awake in the middle of the night shivering and cold and wet with your sheets/pajamas soaked in perspiration making it difficult to go back to sleep.
• Nightmare – Dreams that make you afraid or leave feelings of fear, terror, and upset long after waking up.
• Abnormal Orgasm – Unable to have an orgasm with normal sexual stimulation.
• Pain in Extremity – A painful feeling in the legs, arms, hands, and/or feet.
• Paresthesia - A sensation of tingling, pricking, or numbness of a person’s skin with no apparent long-term physical effect.
• Photopsia – A condition where a person sees lights, sparks, or colors in front of their eyes.
• Pressure of Speech – A condition where the individual cannot voice his ideas fast enough with the pressure of there being not enough time to say it.
• Pyrexia – Fever or the increase in body temperature that is usually a sign of infection.

Now some of you may be thinking that I might be overreacting, but I assure you that I am not. Quite the opposite actually, I feel that there are probably more symptoms that I am leaving out.
When I went online to research the symptoms that we had been experiencing, there was little information that I could find. I went onto the website for Wyeth (the company that produces Effexor XR) and the only thing that I could find was, and I quote,

“When people suddenly stop using or quickly lower their daily dose of EFFEXOR XR, discontinuation symptoms may occur. Talk to your doctor before discontinuing or reducing your dose of EFFEXOR XR.”

Wyeth also states that Effexor XR is, and I quote AGAIN,

“ Effexor XR Is Not Addictive. Effexor XR and other antidepressants are not addictive. You cannot become addicted to an antidepressant even if you take it for long-term maintenance therapy. An antidepressant is not a controlled substance like a narcotic or a stimulant.”

I am very sorry Wyeth, but I disagree.

well i went to the e.r. tonight to have a possible blood clot checked out (not related..and it wasn't one) but have felt absolutely crappy since having this IUD put in a week ago today...have almost all the symptoms as mamacass...including headaches, dizziness, and many others... the e.r. .they checked and said it is placed properly...but have had the chest pain, shortness of breath, terrible back pains, profuse sweating, chills...i keep those little heating patches on my lower abdomen and back due to pain (also have little bursts of shocks from abdomen)...i had UTI symptoms...burning when urinating...so i thought i had a UTI...the e.r. ruled that out too...plus they did a chest x-ray..nothing...blood work...nothing wrong there...anxiety ( i don't have a history of that...maybe the hormones released by this thing?) so basically they said all my symptoms are mirena related and to have it removed...i really want to keep it....it's only been one week ...do these things go away?

Hi,

5 days ago I was diagnosed with staph, MRSA. I went to my doctor, who put me on Augmentin, didn't work so he added Levaquin. I ended up in the ER on Thursday with my arm worse and intravenous drugs. To make a long story short, after my second dose of Levaquin I told the doc I woke up that the night before at 2 AM, soaked in sweat and asked if it could be a sign of the Levaquin. He said no, and to continue taking it. Needless to say, I took a dose tonight, I am up, anxious, my heart is beating out of my chest and I feel dizzy. It is now 3:00 AM and I just got off the phone with the nurse hotline because I know it is the medication and I am scared. She told me to try and stay calm, don't take anymore, and report it to my Doctor. The thing is I did report it, and he told me the effects I was suffering had nothing to do with the drug. Same thing with the ER doctor, he told me the same.

DON'T TAKE THIS DRUG IF YOU KNOW IT IS HURTING YOUR SYSTEM. IF YOU FEEL STRANGE, DIZZY, WEIRD. I JUST WANT THE DOSE I TOOK TO BE OUT OF MY SYSTEM.

Just read an FDA article out today, I believe. The FDA is looking to publish quarterly a list of "potential problem drugs". That is fantastic! But where will this information be posted, and how often should a medical prescriber visit and hunt for such information?

I still maintain every medical professional with the appropriate credentials to prescribe any medication should be required to register with an email address with a database within the FDA to immediately communicate this new-found quarterly list, as well as any investigations launched (as with Merck/Singulair). Wow - what a concept.

I suppose I should be somewhat more optimistic with a slight move in the right direction - but I know with all my heart neither my daughter's pediatrician, nor my personal intern will receive, nor be aware, of any of the quarterly "lists".

Will keep trying to get a change within the FDA.

Hmmm.

My advice to all is to go see your doctor and discuss this with your doctor.
A doctor can help you much more than a bunch of postings over the internet.

I took Yasmin for 4 years and had no issues. I gained a little more weight, but considering everything else it did to help me with the PCOS, that is okay.

I took myself off of the pill for nearly 3 years because I was mad at my OBGYN for never being in the office so I stopped going.

I recently started the Yasmin again and I am glad.

Yasmin is mostly designed for women with PCOS or who need estrogen supplements. Yasmin is not for everybody. You should discuss this with your doctor to determine if Yasmin is right for you.

I heard about this on NPR on Friday morning and cannot believe what all I have read about to date. We have been to so many psychologists, psychiatrists, play therapists, neurology, allergy, and so forth trying to explain her behavior. We have had so many different theories thrown our way that it's hard to know what to believe anymore. Not one medical professional noted that her allergy meds could be partly to blame. After I listened to the initial report, I was talking to my small circle of friends about some of the problems we have been experiencing with our daughter for years. Everyone that I have spoken with that has children on Singulair all complain of similar problems in their children- they say they wish they weren't alive, show extreme rage , hate to be alone, etc. I am no medical professional, but I cannot afford to see if this isn't what is causing our daughter's behavior. Certainly after reading these postings I'm even more convinced about the connections. I would be remiss if I followed my pediatrician's advice and continued her on Singulair. Finally, I see some light at the end of this long tunnel and I no longer feel so isolated.

Been on Toprol XL for 4 years. I am 64 with SVT and mitral valve prolapse. I was started at 50mg daily and got relief but when breakthrough SVT started the dose went up to 50mg in the AM and 25mg in the evening. I still have breakthroughs but can wait them out. I did notice that my SVT or palpitations seemed to be triggered with an imminent BM. I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia but coincidentally....it started with severe muscle pain when I started taking Toprol XL. I wasn't told that this could be a side effect.HMMMM When my insurance was discontinued (retirement) I started taking the generic due to cost. I haven't noticed any difference between the two. I also noticed that after a SVT episode I have a increase in urination....Toprol or SVT? I also noticed that I am very aware of an increase in a feeling doom. I have had ekgs etc and my heart is in good shape otherwise.

I am 2 weeks and 3 days into taking this pill for the first month and I don't know if I should stay on it. I just started to get brownish blood/spotting and cramps in my back. I am afraid I might be pregnant although my boyfriend always pulls out on time. There is a chance that some precum got inside me, but I haven't been too worried since I don't think it's very likely to get pregnant from precum while on the pill. Should I be worried or are these symptoms normal? I also have had more frequent mood swings and anxiety, but I suffer from both anyway. From all the bad things I have heard, I am eager to switch back to Ortho-Tri Cyclen. Is there a big difference between the pills and the amount of protection they offer from getting pregnant? If any information can be given, I would really appreciate it.

I was prescribed Lisinopril for pre-hypertension at 10 mg a day. I've only taken it for 2 days and have felt so sluggish and tired but revved up on the inside at the same time. Had a headache too last night and blurry vision. It does work in lowering the BP though. Last night I felt as if I couldn't take deep breaths to relax myself and then I started having shaking chills and tingling in the hands and feet. Thought I was having a panic attack so I took my clonazepam. Then I felt like I'd have to throw up or go to the bathroom to get relief. The clonazepam kicked in after about an hour and knocked me out, but I still woke up a few hours later still feeling extremely anxious even though the clonazepam was still in my system (I take it twice a day for panic attacks) along with Lexapro for depression/generalized anxiety. I'm refusing to take any more of this drug. I will lose weight and exercise and eat healthy just to avoid this drug.

I have been on some sort of birth control for 7 years now. I started taking the ring about 2 years ago. I have noticed all of the side effects mentioned here. Also, I started noticing recently that my PMS symptoms were starting a week and a half before I even removed the ring. This is ridiculous!! I finally decided to stop using it. It's not worth the discomfort and aggravation. You will go through some hormonal imbalances but a medical professional advised me to start taking Vitex, Vitamin B6, and Calcium supplements. these are all natural and can be found in GNC stores, and similar places. They have made the transition a breeze!

I took a Kenalog injection for allergies 9 years ago and swore I would never take another one. I had anxiety, depression, heart palpations, mood swings, high b/p and on and on...thought I was loosing my mind. Blood work showed I was post menapause and was put on hormones as well as anxiety meds and b/p meds. It took a few months to get somewhat back to normal. I could never get a medical professional to say the shot did it...but my "gut" said it did.

Nov. 15, 2006 I took another one, how STUPID. I had had strep throat, upper respiratory infection, seasonal asthma and was having a hard time bouncing back, before I knew it I had taken it again. It didn't seem to bother me for the first two weeks but then the blood pressure increase ( I was already taking a mild b/p pill), more anxiety than usual, rapid heart beat, mood swings, depression etc. returned. It took me a couple of days to figure out what was going on. My medical professional thought stress from the last few months was the contributing factor ( both my parents have died in the last 6 months and I had been caring for them for 2 years). I did not think that had caused the onset of all the above. I contacted my pharmacist who agreed with me that the shot was most likely the cause. Now I am stuck with all these horrible feelings until the shot wears off. I have been put on a much stronger b/p medication, which isn't working to it's full potential and I am taking zanax three times a day just to keep the anxiety at bay. Needless to say I have had them mark my medical chart..."ALLERGIC TO KENALOG". I will NEVER take another one.

I haven't had a problem with Kenalog. In fact, it worked very well for me with no side effects at all.

However, I'm surprised at people who would ask if they should just stop going to the doctor who is prescribing this medication. In my opinion, asking a group of non-professional total strangers whether one should take or stop taking a prescribed medication seems extremely dangerous.

If one is worried about side effects, one should ask a different professional. A second, or even a third, opinion from a doctor is much wiser than taking advice from people one has never met.

I'm not a doctor, don't know any doctors socially or by family relationship and deal only with my own doctor. I'm probably as intelligent as the average person and I have experience with Kenalog but I would NEVER suggest that any of you start, stop or change any prescribed medication.

Nor would I ask Internet strangers what I should do about a medication. A site such as this is very useful for gaining many-sided, experiential information but I wouldn't use it in place of a medical professional and I'm sure that the site owners agree.

BTW, I once got a permanent injection site indentation from a simple pain shot. Some people are just prone to get these things. I didn't blame either the doctor or the medication and a dimple on my butt hardly seems earth-shattering.

While it is true that any BCP will have side effects within the first few months while your body adjusts (in response to a few posts down), you need to take the severity of them into account. If I was only experiencing a bit of bloating or minimal weight fluctuation, etc, I would be unconcerned. However, I wake up in the middle of anxiety attacks, panicky and almost out of my mind with edginess. I have gone up two dress sizes, have constant light discharge, am moody beyond belief and to the point where it is damaging my life...and I have only been on this pill for three weeks. If you are experiencing side effects which interfere severely with your regular lifestyle or have a large impact on your physical and mental well being, discontinue use and seek help from your medical professional IMMEDIATELY. There is a better way for you.

I hope I do not have the effects that some of you reported after quitting Yasmine. My life is messed up enough already. I will keep you posted. God be with you.

I would love to tell you that they disappear immediately.. but they won't. Someone on this message board mentioned "1 month for every week you were on the drug" . So far, that seems about right to me.

You REALLY should have listened to us. Cold turkey is NOT recommended. Here's the deal. Your body makes hormones in the adrenal glands. Prednisone replaces those hormones and the adrenals STOP. Quitting cld turkey means you are now missing vital hormones. I don't know how serious but it can't be a good thing.

A friend of mine did the same thing. He was on 10 for a while.. then just stopped. He was in agony for 24 hours and it was over. He wasn't on the drug very long in total which may be a contributing factor.

TALK TO A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL.. relying on the board (as informative as we may be) doesn't replace their knowledge. If you can't trust a doctor.. talk to your pharmacist. They have the same confidentiality and will help you.

If any doctor can answer this for me: WHY do you all discount the birth control pill when we women complain about health issues that have only started occurring in conjunction with the taking of the hormones???!! I'm certainly not a medical professional, but I'm intelligent enough to realize that hormones play a HUGE part on the wellness and activity of ones body. To tell a woman that her pain and symptoms are all in her head, to me, is neglectful, insensitive, and downright ignorant considering yours is a field based on a machine as mysterious as the human body is.

For those of you who have had horrible side effects, I urge you to contact Berlex who is the manufacturer of Yasmin in the U.S. The phone number is located in the Yasmin Forums link above. You will speak to a live person who will take your information down and note it. It's very important that if this crap isn't safe for human consumption, that it be taken off the market.

Some of you are posting that your children have been prescribed Advair and I am very concerned about this....

I am not a medical professional, but I do know that ADVAIR HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED BY THE FDA FOR USE BY CHILDREN.

It states in the pamphlet that comes with the medication that Advair is for people over 12 and "the safety and effectiveness of Advair Diskus in children under 12 has not been established... Controlled clinical studies have shown that orally inhaled corticosteroids may cause a reduction in growth...in pediatric patients."

Please, if you have a child under 12 that has been prescribed Advair, talk to your doctor about the safety and possible risks and ask about finding an FDA approved alternative.