Effexor side effect, weaning off..Questions...What now?

[Tess]

Hey everyone.
I'm new here and was hoping someone could answer some questions for me.

I was finally diagnosed with SAD 9 years ago. I did the d vitamins and St. Johns wort for for years until I found myself miserable at my job and marriage. (Still happily married, thanks to meds. ) I did citalipram for years increasing doses yearly until I couldn't deal with the reflux anymore. My doc then put me on effoxor (venlafaxine) and I've been up to 150mg over the last 4 years. It took me a long time to put it together, but I found I suffered a bizzaar side effect. It affects my sense of smell. I've never found anything that explains this as a possibility, but since I started taking them I have this AWFUL smell on and off. As my doses increased the smell got worse. I finally got to where I can't handle the smell and made an appt to see my doc. He ended up with appedicitis so I had to see another Dr.

He started weaning me off, starting at 75.5mg for 3 weeks. Already the smell is WAY worse and I've had one major episode (that happened to coincide with pms). Even though this doc told me I wouldn't suffer at all.

So my questions are these...how long will it take to wean off? Will I have more episodes? What is my next option for meds? The doc threw out some names but they meant nothing to me.

I hope to see my normal doc soon, but I appreciate any thoughts anyone could share.
Thanks,
Tess

[paul m]

Hello Tess and welcome. There are a variety of problems that can occur when stopping any drug classed as SSRI/SNRI etc. Effexor is in fact the best known for causing problems. I am unsure exactly what you mean by major episode. The most common is called SSRI discontinuation syndrome. It can involve a multitude of different things and wikipedia best describes it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SSRI_di...ation_syndrome

The longer and slower that someone takes to wean off of effexor, generally the less likely that major side effects will occur. Please note that some people have no problem quitting taking effexor and others take a long time. Some people have to take another SSRI med until the most common being prozac and then withdrawing from it, which is said to be easier. Ehow describes this method, although not with 100% accuracy.

http://www.ehow.com/how_4718650_survive-effexor-withdrawal-using-prozac.html

In regards to which is the next best med. That is tough to say. All you can do is try one and see if it works. No single med works for everyone It is a confusing maze, but CAMH has a good booklet out on Understanding Antidepressants.

http://www.camh.net/Care_Treatment/Resources_clients_families_friends/psych_meds/UPM_Antidepressants.pdf

It is tough to try and figure everything out but it can be done. I am sure that some of the things that I have said are still unclear, so please don't hesitate to ask more questions. Take Care. paul m

[Atlantis]

Welcome to the forum Tess.

I am sorry to hear that you are having a hard time coming off effexor. Paul has given you some very good links to start you on your path so I will just say hi and I am looking forward to hearing from you again.

Did you get a diagnosis from your pdoc? I am diagnosed with Bipolar 1, with mixed episodes.

[Lizzy]

Tess, welcome to the forum. I weaned off effexor slowly since oct but needed prozac to help with the withdrawl symptoms that made me feel pretty wiped and dizzy, sleepy, agitated etc.
The prozac helped a great deal. The smell must have been pretty annoying. I hope you can find a different med that works for you. It seems to be a struggle that we all share at least, some of the time

[Re-O]

Hi Tess,

Welcome to the forum!

I personally have never been on Effexor but there are several people who have. You've come to the right place.

[Stormy Weather]

Hi Tess,
Welcome to the forum.

[A.E.V.]

welcome to the forum Tess!
I've never been on effexor... but I just wanted to say hi, and hope to hear from you again soon!

[uni]

Hello Tess, and welcome. Thank you for sharing. I'm not sure how much help I can give you, but I too was on Effexor and weaned off, so we have something in common. I'm wondering what you mean by the "major episode" you experienced. What were the symptoms?

You ask how long it will take to get off the Effexor. Well, it can be a very long time (which happened to me - I'm talking many months) or only a few weeks. I would not recommend less, but of course I'm no doctor.

As for what to try next, I can't even begin to suggest anything. A "normal" doctor is not often very knowledgeable about antidepressants, it's not their specialty, so it might be wise to ask for a referral to a psychiatrist (pdoc for short).

For now, hopefully the links Paul has posted will be of help. I wish you well, and look forward to hearing from you again.


.

[AJ]

I just wanted to add my welcome to the forums Tess.

[Tess]

Thanks for the welcome everyone!

I'm sorry, I should have furthar explained my episode. Now reading it again I feel "major" was a little harsh. I guess major as to anything I had experienced on meds. It was really just about a day and a half of depression/sadness that the doc had told me I wouldn't experience whilw weaning off. I've also had some lack of energy, anger, insomnia and just plane laziness. The smell is also pretty bad almost ALL the time now.
I wanted to say, if it wasn't for the stupid smell I probably would have stayed on the effexor. It seemed to work for me, and keep me pretty level.
I have an appt with my regular doc on the 22nd and hope to find out more then.

Currently I have been reduced from 150mg to 75mg for 3 weeks then he was going to drop me to 37.5. I'm scared that might be too intense.

anyway, thanks again for all the info and support. I'm sure I'll be around.
Tess

[bookmom]

Don't forget to consider that the smell issue might have nothing to do with the meds at all and be another problem altogether?? Just thinking what Dr House might come up with :-)

Angela

[Atlantis]

Hi Bookmom and welcome to the forum, I somehow missed you other posts

Tess, Intense sense of smell means one thing for me...Mania

Although i remember having a terrible taste in my mouth the first few weeks I was on Lithium, it was almost unbearable, I could hardly eat or drink as everthing had that taste on it...Yuk..Luckily it went away.

I was on effexor for a few months (before going manic..sigh..). I don't recall a smell with the med until it was too late and I had the nose of a blood hound, by then it was time to go to the hospital for a stay.

Keep us updated on how things are going.

[Chippie]

I am currently weaning off effexor after 20 years and switching to wellbutrin. The effexor was doing nothing for me at all. As far as side effects, they are horrible - memory loss, confusion, an weird unreal feeling, heavy anxiety, thoughts of suicide, and fatigue. I am a bartender and it is very difficult to focus. No change in smell though

[uni]

I went off of Effexor after a lot of years and weaning off, in my case, made me very physically sick for many months. How are you making out?

[Gossip]

I wish I'd been able to wean off it. It triggered a severe psychotic mania and I had to stop it cold turkey when I was committed to the psych ward under the mental health act. It was... not fun!