Chicks Rule!

I've been on Effexor for close to 2 years. I've mainly stayed at 150 mgs. For the past 3 months I've been lowering my dosage and for the past week and a half I've been off completely. It's been my version of hell on earth. I'm having extreme dizziness, nauseau, vomiting, tingling and numbing sensations throughout my body. My tongue goes numb when I move my head. ? The past two nights I've been going through convulsions. Going through cold sweating. I'm cold, my body temp is 96.5 and I'm sweating profusely.

I have been on anti-depressants before; Paxil (for about a month and I had a few withdrawal symptoms, but went right on effexor so they didn't last), wellbutrin (for a week and just didn't like it) Celexa (2 weeks), Prozac (2 months) and about 10 years ago was on imipramine (for about 8 months duration). None of these anti depressants have had what "they" call the "withdrawal-like symptoms" effect on me like effexor. My body feels toxic. In the past if I missed a dose, the very next day I was distraught. Crying and angry and easily irritated. Why is it called "withdrawal-like"? This very much seems to be a withdrawal. My body wants to be back on the drug. I have 2 friends that have weaned off of effexor and are having the exact same symtoms, although the one friend is having suicide ideation on top of everything else.

I'm not sure what my point is here, aside that I have to write this so someone sees it. There are so many other anti-depressants out there. Please stay away from effexor. Never in my life have I had the urge to warn anyone away from anything, but please do not even start. You may be just fine as you're taking this drug, but the coming off of it is the hellish part.

The entire point of taking an anti depressant is to "right" your mind. After a few months you're supposed to be weaned from the anti depressant. An anti depressant is not a "for life" medication.

Why is it that the medical community has such a hard time believing us? Sure, we don't go to school for years and years to learn about the human body. But they go to learn about the human body in general. No doctor goes to school for 8 years to learn about MY body. Doctors know a lot. But more often than not, they don't want to listen.