@ainsleigh
How long after you reached zero did you continue to have side effects?

Thanks, @kbmayo! I appreciate the encouragement. I'm aware that I've come off the drug much faster than I should have. But I can't imagine having to go through these symptoms over months. Going from 75mg to 37.5mg was extremely painful! I'd rather rip off the band-aid and get it done.

I'm finding that I'm doing better today though! It has been 6 days since I last took 37.5mg of Effexor. I'm still feeling perpetually anxious, which is certainly unpleasant. But I haven't had any brain zaps this morning (or few, I just got one while re-reading this post). I did some weight-lifting this morning and a bit of cardio, which I think may have helped.

I'm also cleaning up my diet and I've been eating way too much sugar which just aggravates the anxiety - and the anger. And drinking tea and going to bed an hour earlier than usual.

Here is the fascinating part - I'm finding that because I'm in a constant state of exhibiting the physical symptoms of anxiety and rage (elevated heart rate, sweating, shaking, difficulty concentrating), my brain cannot properly interpret how I am actually feeling. Am I ACTUALLY anxious or angry or is it just withdrawal? My husband and I were talking about how working on self-regulating in such a heightened physical state is extremely difficult (almost impossible) but also great practice for when the physical symptoms abate and I'm back to normal. I'm not sure that I'm expressing this well...

On the one hand, I can't trust my own understanding of how I'm feeling right now because I'm so out of whack. On the other hand, I really have to flex my self-regulatory muscles to get through it with any dignity, which I think might make me "stronger" or rather better equipped to manage my emotions when I'm through. At the very least, I'm trying to frame the experience in that more positive and productive light while I'm in the thick of it. 🙂

One weird thing that I wanted to mention to see if anyone else experienced this: I developed a boil on my inner thigh and there is another one forming on the inside of my upper arm. At first, I thought I had skin cancer! Has anyone else experienced this as a possible symptom of weaning from Effexor? I ask because I have never had a boil before in my life until weaning - and now I have two! I also have psoriasis which seems to be a risk factor. I'm really hoping this is just another symptom that will disappear as I get through this.

Oh! And last question, does anyone have any strategies for minimizing the organ squishing feeling? I feel like my stomach/spleen/gallbladder(?) are periodically spasming and it hurts. Not for long, quite literally like someone is giving it a quick squeeze. It's on the right side primarily. Any advice would be appreciated.

For context, I'm taking Vitamin D3 x 1000mg a day, a tsp of fish oils, a whole food diet of mainly vegetables, fruit, kefir and whole grains, meat twice a week. I walk to and from work (30 minutes each way) and I'm now incorporating in some strength training. I'm a runner as well, but I hurt my knee running a half marathon at the end September and haven't fully recovered, so I haven't been running. As a consequence, I have put on 10 lbs. I'm 5"6 and 140 lbs.

Thanks!