Effexor XR and hell

3 days off Effexor = 3 days of hell. Brain zaps, depression, immovability, bad, BAD dreams of past relationship breakup...even thought of overdosing on heroin to escape my life`s past...no, don`t get on this crap.

Oh boy! Side effects to coming off this med! UGH! I am going through them as I type! It is the most horrible way to feel! I have tried in the past on several occasions to get off this med...but never had accomplished the feat as it is nearly impossible to get through the day! At my highest dose I was taking 300 mg daily... the Dr. weaned me down slowly and now am trying just to get off of 75mg daily! I am on day 4 without Effexor xr... needless to say the side effects are getting worse instead of better!
I am experiencing: dizziness, tingly feeling in my whole body, night sweats, almost hard to do anything because I feel as if I have the flu!!!!
To anyone who is given the choice to take this med...DON"T!! Getting off of it is the hardest thing to do! In hindsight... when I am on it fully it is a great med. It helped me regain my life without panic, anxiety, depression etc... Idk... people don't understand the hell we go through with all these meds. My poor husband can't take my complaining anymore! Although either can I! I feel like going and getting a pill right now just to feel better!

This is my 4th day off effexor. For the past 3 nights, I have been almost asleep...when I am awakened by a 'shortness and uneven breathing'. This happened constantly..every time I would almost nod off...i would be awakened with a jolt as if I couldn't breathe. Last night this went on for a few hours, but I finally got some sleep. Has anyone else experienced this? I was on effexor for 8 months...the dr. increasing it gradually up to 300mg. per day. I have weaned off slowly, until 4 days ago, going from 75 to none. It has been 4 days of hell...with evil sick dreams, brain buzzing, migraine type issues, etc. I have never experienced anything like it. I would suggest anyone considering taking this drug...DON'T!!! I was on prozac for 14 years before this, and the symptoms were minimal. But i became immune to it. I have chosen to be none medicated from now on. I will deal with my anxiety and depression with exercise, and by the grace of God. Please Help if you have any suggestions to get me past the next few days...How long can I expect this awful withdrawal..I feel so sick it's almost to weird to describe. I heard taking benadryl helps. I have taken a few...but don't feel too different.
Looking forward to your help..Thanks in advance.

This medication was a life-saver for me when I first started taking it 7 years ago. Unfortunately, every so often it would stop being effective. My Dr. would up the dosage until I was on the highest and could go no future. So I set out to titrate off, which I did very slowly, but it was hell. The worst was when I was finally done. I felt like a junkie. I was shaking, having crazy brain zaps that made me feel like I was being shocked every time I'd close my eyes. I was sweating like a pig. My sleep was was filled with terrifying nightmares that left me screaming out in my sleep. I am 5 weeks off and still experiencing nightmares, and a few mind-zap things-but nothing like they were when I first started to come off. Yoga and meditation seemed to be the only things that helped. Each day I wanted to take it again just to feel normal. No one can believe that a common SSRI can have such horrible withdrawal effects, so I am on a quest to educated everyone I know.