Good Morning All.....
I feel the need to discuss Effexor and all it has done to us and for us.
I am in the same boat as we all are, on a medicine that has terrible withdrawal affects.
I am just as pissed as everyone that we were not told of the possible side affect being on the meds and the withdrawal (or even that there IS withdrawal).

But for me, Effexor was a life savor. I was having HORRIBLE anxiety! At one point, I was out of work for a week because I couldn't get out of my house. I didn't know if I would be able to go back to work. EVERYTHING scared me and made me anxious, even driving to my son's house. These bouts of anxiety seemed to coincide with the true beginning of menopause. I say true beginning because as we women know, it is a process that starts when we are in our 30s (give or take). Through therapy, I realized I have been having anxiety probably most of my life; it reared its ugly head differently depending on my age.

When I had these anxiety attacks, I was put on a low dose of Effexor XR. Other than having a dull headache for a few days, I had not other problems with it. I stayed on the Effexor for a few years before the dosage was bumped up (a few times). After a while, my PCP suggested I come off of it because I was doing so well. Of course I was, I was medicated! I was coming off of it slowly (although I don't remember the plan), I started having anxiety attacks, again. I went back to the psychiatrist who was monitoring my meds. She told me I could not go back on the Effexor for 6 months (can't remember why). She tried me on a couple of other meds and nothing worked. I felt the anxiety throughout my body. Finally, after the 6 months was up, I asked to go back on to the Effexor. I did. It did not work as well as it did the first time, but I no longer had that horrible feeling throughout my body.

Throughout the years, the level has been upped, but usually after a specific event in my life. I believe I am at the max dose now. I know my memory is shot and it gets my hubby very upset. He thinks when I tell him I forgot, I am just making excuses, but I'm not! It has gotten so bad that I can honestly say that many times I have absolutely no recollection of ever knowing the info at all. I don't get that spark in my head that says, Oh yeah, I remember. I know that this is all due to the Effexor. I also know it is time to come off. As I said before, I have a lot of health issues I am dealing with at the moment. When they are all solved, I will start the process. I am going to take it VERY slow, even if it takes me a year or more!

Frankly, if I haven't started on this site, I would not have known that this drug, which has kept my anxiety pretty well curbed, is so horrible. Hindsight is 20/20 and I now know that many of the things I've been experiencing is due to the Effexor. I truthfully don't know how I would have managed all these years without it. I believe that many of my issues with the Effexor became worse when I got onto such a large dose. I take 150mg twice a day. I also believe that if I stayed on the small dose, it would have helped to keep me mellow without making me the way I am today.

Sorry for the rambling but I hope I got my point across that as bad as I now know this drug is, it has saved me in many ways. Were there other drugs I could take? I'm sure there are, but once I started with the Effexor and I felt so good, I didn't want to try anything else (except for that period of time I had to). I don't think I'll ever be 100% off an anxiety med, but I do believe I will get off the Effexor in due time.

Here is to a great mental health day!
Ronnie (GRANDMAr)