I have been taking Effexor for around 2 to 3 years for depression...
It's so interesting to hear your story. I was on Effexor XR for three some-odd years, and the withdrawal effects were so horrific that I had to stop taking it. I developed a dependency on it that was purely physical, and I wanted out. I, like you, experienced the dizzy spells. It felt like my brain was being shaken around inside my head. I would have the most unpleasant dreams; usually my dreams can be connected to something in my life, but the ones I had after missing doses of Effexor were always nightmarish and had nothing to do with what was going on in my conscious.
I was prescribed the meds at age 17, at which time the FDA had not approved it for individuals under 18. It took 10 weeks to take effect, and I was on it for years. My dose was upped to 2 150mg doses a day. That's really high.
I was taking the XR form, or "extended release". This was supposed to help with the nausea, which I had never experienced anyway. What I ended up doing to end my dependency was, open up the pills, dump out some of the little white balls inside, and gradually decrease my dose week by week. I cut the dose in half, then in half again, then so small that I didn't feel like I needed it anymore. It was the best thing I've ever done for my body (besides quit smoking). I don't get the out-of-left-field and crazy dreams, I don't get the strong jarring, dizzying sensations (that was the worst part), and now I am in control of my mood.
I've been off it for over a year and honestly, no matter what my depression situation were, I would NEVER go on THIS or any other anti-depressant ever again. The brain has seriously complicated circuitry and hormone uptake that I would never, not even by the instruction of a psychiatrist or any doctor, take something that interfered with my brain's chemical processes. For me, that is not a good enough solution. Prozac, Wellbutrin (talk about side effects)....nothing is good enough to convince me to tamper with the delicate network of chemicals and hormones of my most precious vital organ.
This medication did not work for me. I can't remember that it made me any happier than I was when I was prescribed it. The side effects outweighed the benefits by far.
If you are taking XR, wean yourself off. You will be so glad you did. I talked to my doctor (not the one responsible for prescribing me Effexor) after I had come to the decision to reduce my own dose, and she commended me. Tampering with medication is dangerous, but so is being dependant on something that, like you said, makes your body FREAK OUT when you don't have it. That is not healthy, that is not right. I hope that in the time since you wrote this that you have found some way to cope or come off of it. I was relieved to find that someone else had experienced these same symptoms, and I only hope that you can find relief from the clutches of Effexor!
Thank you so much for your post. I have been taking Effexor for 2 years now. I'm a type 1 diabetic and after 25+ years of diabetes, depression started in and took its toll. I am only on 1 pill in the morning (150mg). I had never missed a dose until this week. I have missed it for 2 days now and won't be able to refill it until Friday (today is Tuesday). I have had the worst headache that's gotten worse, I'm not as patient about things as I used to be (even before I was on the medicine I was a very patient person - this is a wild mood swing for me to not be patient). I came home from work today and still felt awful so I took a nap - the weirdest nap ever! I had very vivid crazy dreams that made no sense afterwards, but made perfect sense at the time. I went seraching sites to see if this was a side effect of not being able to take the medication for a few days and found your post. I'm so glad to know I'm not alone. I felt mad to have to take a drug to make myself feel better (I've always been a very independent person) and now to know I am "addicted" to it. I read your e-mail and nodded to myself understanding a lot of what you were going through too. Just thank you again. You've been a tremendous help for me.
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