Long term effects AFTER withdrawing from Effexor

I began stepping down in September 2020 and my last dose was 1/30/21. I stepped down 37.5 at a time. The first month was like having a respiratory flu, a stomach flu and being hungover all at once.

The nausea has subsided tremendously but I still get sidetracked (2-3 days instead of 7) and follow with loose bowels. I will reach out to my dr. Thank you.

I began stepping down in September 2020 and my last dose was 1/30/21. I stepped down 37.5 at a time. The first month was like having a respiratory flu, a stomach flu and being hungover all at once.

The nausea has subsided tremendously but I still get sidetracked (2-3 days instead of 7) and follow with loose bowels. I will reach out to my dr. Thank you.

I had a telehealth visit with my dr this morning. He doesn’t believe my symptoms are related to withdrawal. I have an in office visit scheduled for Monday for blood work and physical exam. 🤞🏼

@jeanster Withdrawal from Effexor can be an extremely difficult process but the drug does help many people, like you. You are not pain free but considering your multiple medical issues you feel that you are doing pretty well regarding pain management. Effexor is part of your pain management treatment. Did I get that right?

I'd like to welcome you to Mayo Clinic Connect, a place to give and get support. It sounds like you have a lot of experience with this and other topics.

It seems you have a certain degree of acceptance for the pain in your life. Do you think this is how you remain resilient despite multiple medical issues and pain or do you think it is something else?

@dquest20 and @4cat Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I am sorry to hear about both of your struggles after getting off of Effexor.
Perhaps the two of you can connect for support.

I included side effects after withdraw.

Side effects of Effexor Withdraw - https://www.verywellmind.com/brain-shivers-as-effexor-withdrawal-symptom-1065516#:~:text=When%20decreasing%20or%20stopping%20an,Headache

@dquest20 and @4cat, what has this medication done to your quality of life?

Hi just doing researching again and saw your post from 2018, I too was on Effexor for 15 years, I weaned off it in Nov 2012 and by March 2013 was my first ER visit that started my eight year chronic pain journey that has destroyed my life, and left me a shell of a person, it has been the mystery of my lifetime, I'm a cancer survivor and fought hard in my twenty's to survive endometrial cancer, after that to a successful business owner, raised my family and enjoyed life and I did suffer from some depression and anxiety and had a few other health issues but not that took away my quality of life and now I am completely bedridden in eight years, I have been to over 30 different doctors trying to get help/answers with all the pain throughout my body, in eight years now I have been diagnosed with Lupus, Chronic Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis, Cervical Disc Disorder with Radiculopathy, Intercostal Neuralgia, Bilateral Occipital Neuralgia, Costochondritis, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Migraines, Bile Reflux, Meningiomas in my brain, etc. it just goes on. I had none of this before except I did suffer from Migraines all my life. The Pain started in my left ribcage and spread from there, when I went off the Effexor I had gained some weight from it at 175 pounds I am 5 foot tall, my normal weight was about 130, now I only weight 85 pounds because I can't eat much of anything, I have weighed under 100 pounds for four years now, and I've had to have all my top teeth replaced because my jaw bone was shifting and cracking, I had so many procedures and two surgeries, nerve blocks, and trigger point injections 700+ in 8 years, with over 400 just in the last three years all over my body rotated biweekly and I have to be on pain medication and sleeping pills for years, I feel like I will die any day I'm 58 years old, For years Dr. would take blood tests, MRI's, CT's X-rays and tell me I was fine, bloodwork looks fine, test look fine, but I was in so much pain I couldn't stand it, I didn't know why I was loosing weight or feeling such bad pain, I was scared, most dr's made me feel it was all in my head and treated me unkindly, all I was asking for was help I was scared, until the damaged started to show up on the MRI's, labs etc. and my health begin deteriorating and now. I have brought it up many time with dr's I have seen about any connection to Effexor since I had such a hard time getting off of it, but I just get that blank stare or they can't say. I would really be interested to know if anyone else has had anything similar happened to them or someone they know.

I was on Effexor for 7 years, no one advised me to taper off slowly, and after a 4 day tapering off I was left with high blood pressure, chronic pain, and lack of concentration and confusion 2 years later. Nothing seems to have returned my ability to concentrate.

I also had something like "brain shivers". Mentioned it to my doctors and they pooh-poohed it as they'd never heard of it.

Felt like a buzz of electricity was going down the inside center of my brain and "crackling"! The weirdest thing.
Never thought of the possibility it could be a medication side effect.

@dquest20 and @4cat Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I am sorry to hear about both of your struggles after getting off of Effexor.
Perhaps the two of you can connect for support.

I included side effects after withdraw.

Side effects of Effexor Withdraw - https://www.verywellmind.com/brain-shivers-as-effexor-withdrawal-symptom-1065516#:~:text=When%20decreasing%20or%20stopping%20an,Headache

@dquest20 and @4cat, what has this medication done to your quality of life?