First of all...may I express my hearfelt sympathy to all patients who have been prescibed this drug and to patients who are trying to withdraw from it!!
I was prescribed 225 mg 10 years ago for what was then thought to be a reaction to breast cancer surgery......I now know that it was the cold turkey withdrawl from HRT that made me desperately ill.......Doctors didn't know about it then , even worse did not know the effects that Efexor/Venlafaxine would have on a patient!!!!! They took the information from the drug companies.....
I lived like a quite comfortable zombie for 10 years unrtl I was changed to the generic version......I developed hives, constipation, fainting spells, irritability, stress and extreme fatigue......My GP treated the symptoms but never gave a thought to the cause!.........It was only when I travelled abroad for 6 weeks and didnt have quite enough pills for the last week that I fell into a severe state of dizzyness, feelings of unreality, flu symptoms and headaches that I decided to research this......
I began a reduction regime 11 months ago ,...very slowly, I informed my doctor who was unable to offer me any help just let me get on with it.......He didn't know !!
My last 11 months have been hell on earth........Don't let anyone tell you that you symptoms will subside very soon....!!!!...I was on a high dose for a very long time........I am still not over it......
I have had flu for 11 months.....spent most of this time being isolated from the rest of the world and making excuses for going out!......This is no joke!!!.....It takes grit & determination and an expextation of putting your life on hold whilst you go through excruciating pain!!
Worst symptoms......Continual severe head pains, Severe sinus problems, unable to breathe through nose, continually blocked nose & ears.....unable to walk in a straight line and continually bumbing into furniture etc....Obsessive thoughts/unable to get these thoughts out of my head!!....I knew it was my brain healing & that made me determined to carry on....Irritablility turned to extreme anger at times..
I took my last dose of a quarter of a tablet daily 2 months ago.....and thought I would never get right!!!......The withdrawl symptoms continued!!
I can say that now I am, at last ,feeling some normal emotions...my body is feeling a little more relaxed....I have been passing urine quite a lot this week, but still have a head cold and occasional headache...I feel that I am getting there!......The hunger & craving for Carbs has disapeared...& unatural craving for alcohol..(which I didn't give in to)...but I started smoking again.....I neededd something to take the edge off the way I was feeling!
I bought a steam inhaler for my sinus problems...(the antibiotics from my doctor didn't help!)....I did not fall into the trap of asking my doctor for any Prozac to help...I knew that I would have to come off that some day!....I bought over the counter Ibubrufen for the headaches...which helped a little....drank lots of water....and stuck it out!......
I NEVER want to go through that again!!!!!......I lost 11 years of my life.......Currently I am taking Omega 3 Fish oil, magnesium, Vit C & Vit B......I don't know if they help but can't do any harm....I feel I need to nourish my body & brain........
Don't let your doctor tell you that your withdrawl symptoms are a return to your depression!....I have proved this is not true, not having been depressed in the first place.......Don't get on a roundabout of psychi drugs, unless you have bi-polar or an endogenous depression....These pils are too easily prescribed....
I feel that I am some kind of expert now that I have gone through this hell...(and still not out of the woods)...& I just hope that this post will provide some valuable information to other patients......God Bless You!