@proserpine OMG--I, too, have had a sore on the top of my left thigh for some months now. At first, I thought it was an ingrown hair and it felt as though something was below the skin, but nothing could be expressed out. It keeps trying to heal over, but the area is now about the size of a pencil eraser across and the new skin is very thin and breaks when I change the dressing. I haven't had it checked by a doctor 'cause dealing with the Effexor withdrawal symptoms has been my priority. I've been taking ashwagandha for my anxiety symptoms and thought it might have something to do with this sore as ashwagandha reactions include skin rashes, itchiness and inflammation.

Many posters on here (including me) have anxiety and rage--often flash rage. I do have a temper, but didn't use to go from mildly annoyed to I-want-to-throttle-you in seconds. Effexor messes with your serotonin and norepinephrine; while reducing and after getting off Effexor, it takes your brain a while to figure out how to rebalance serotonin and norepinephrine. Serotonin is an important chemical and neurotransmitter in the human body that is believed to help regulate mood and social behavior, appetite and digestion, sleep, memory, and sexual desire and function. Serotonin deficiency is associated with several psychological symptoms, such as: anxiety, depressed mood, aggression, insomnia, irritability, low energy, low self-esteem and low sex drive. Norepinephrine is a naturally occurring chemical in the body that acts as both a stress hormone and neurotransmitter that's released into the blood when the brain perceives that a stressful event has occurred.