View Full Version : EFEXOR venlafaxine - The time is now
Right then here goes......
(Please excuse my spelling as I am Dyslexic)
I was clynically diagnosed with Reactive Depression about 7years ago now. I had suffered with an eye viral infection, Acute Bilateral Iritis back in 2000, which came on during a bout of flu. I had a course of steroids in my eyes for about 4 months and it left me with some damage such as light sensitivity, headaches, depth perception problems and a few others. My employers failed to adapt my work station, treated me like a nuscience and basically in a nutshell messed me around for many months. I received councilling through the RNIB (Royal National Institute for the Blind) and couldn't thank them enough for their help.
Finally, I managed, with the help of my union and through the DDA (disability discrimination act) to take my empoyer to court. After many months and without admitting they were at fault they decided to settle out of court, I received a small sum for my years of service and dismissal. The stress that the whole incident caused me left me feeling basically suicidal.
I was withdrawn, cried alot, didn't wash, didn't shave, no appetite, no motivation, didn't sleep, thought the world was out to get me, and there was just no point going on. My partner, now my wife, supported me throughout the whole affair and her, along with my cat was my reason for living.
She made an appointment with my GP who after a consultation with me put me on a course of anti-depressents called Cypramil which didn't agree with me and so were changed to EFEXOR venlafaxine. I was reffered to a Physciatric Consultant who after many sessions slowly increased my meds to 375mg, the max dose allowed.
The side effects I suffered were "brain zapping", constant sweating, numbness of the face, totally zoning out, sleep problems, erectile problems then no problem with the erections - just wouldn't go down or ejaculate, appetite problems, speach slurring, nausea and a couple more. But, my moods changed and I felt better in myself for it.
I had the full support of my partner who was a community physciatric nurse, we didn't meet through the depression, she was my childhood sweetheart, after a year or so we broke up and got back together some years later and have been together ever since. When we broke up that time, I had quit my job, wanted to move out of the place i was in and feeling pretty low then, perhaps this was the start of things to come, early warning signs.. anyway, still suffering some of the side effects of the venlafaxine, but feeling better in myself we decided we were at a point in our lives to try for a baby (still on 375mg) a positive focal point. We were lucky and got pregnant pretty quickly, I think the side effect of the efexor keeping my erection for ages kinda helped, so I have that to thank for too.
A beautiful son was born to us, perfect in every way and was my main focal point. My wife returned to work and i took on the role of mum, caring for my son 24/7. Times got hard sometimes, the crying, nappy changing, feeding, cleaning, the pills gave me a barrier against feeling too low but all in all the experience was life changing and I wouldn't have changed it for the world.
A couple of years later (still on 375mg) we decided to try for a second child and my daughter was conceived. I was a proud father of a son and daughter. The emotions they bring long outweighs any negative things that happen. She's two now, my son is five and they are both beautiful..Times get hard sometimes, when they "fight" or argue and it does stress me out, but am able to cope with it, more easily when my now wife returns home from work.
The reason for writing all this is that my children don't know me without the pills, I was on the maximum dose throught their conception, birth, first teeth, chickenpox, birthdays, first days at nursery / school.., and enough is enough. It's time to enjoy my children and give them the father they deserve, and that's me without efexor venlafaxine.
My sister brought it to light a couple of days ago when she dropped by for a visit, she told me that I wasn't the person she knew, I had put on weight, I was 32" around the waist and could eat anything and everything without putting on an ounce and now I take a 38.. She stated the obvious about me sweating all the time, my mood swings she reckoned were all over the place, although I have to tend to disagree with this one.
I reduced my medication from 375mg to 300mg some months ago now and just last week decided to take the next step and reduced them further to 225mg. I'm undergoing some vivid side effects, mostly numbness, zoning out and feeling up and down mostly in the mornings after my meds have entered my system. I can deal with these feelings, I just keep focused on the end goal of being meds free for my wife and children.
They're a good pill, they sorted me out when I thought the bottom of the world was about to fall out and provided me with that much needed buffer. But, I'm ready to come off them., I have two lovely kids (yeah, they can be a pain in the ar*e sometimes, but can't all kids), a lovely home and beautiful wife. I should be enjoying what I have, not waiting for my next tablets, sweating all the time whenever I play with my kids and spending the mornings in my own little efexor world.
I have purchased one of the "No More Panic" wristbands and when it comes I shall wear it until I am drug free. Everytime I look at it, it shall remind me of this post and what my goal is, and keep me positive through my withdrawals. I shall continue to update my progress and would appreciate the support of this group throughout my "re-birth" into my drug-free world. I feel that although my wife is loving and supportive, I really don't want to land everything on her, I appreciate her work is demanding and stressfull and thank her from the bottom of my heart for her continued support, and promise her that someday soon, she shall have back the person she fell in love with all those years ago..
That's me for now, thankyou for listening
x
magpie girl
11-08-09, 13:48
hi caged bird, my partner also suffer from idiopathic iritus,and most people dont know what it is, so its nice to have someone who can relate to the condition. His can come and go,and i know it scares him even though he would never admitt to it.His mood changes with every attack he has,so i understand how anyone could get depressed with this condition, I wish you all the luck in your withdrawl from the meds xxxxx
Thankyou for your message. You're right, people don't understand iritis unless they've had it. And to be told you now carry the virus and it can re.surface whenever and may loose your sight when it does is well scary.
told my wife about my plans to come out of my efexor bubble. She's behind me with the decision, which gives me the confidence to go ahead as planned. Can't wait to get the wristband which will make it more real.
nomorepanic
11-08-09, 23:49
Have I confirmed your order for the band? Don't want to mention your name on here lol.
Hi caged bird, i have been taking efexor since January this year for severe anxiety and panic disorder which i have suffered with for about 9 years on and off. I was med free for a couple of years and then i had my daughter in december 08 and suffered post natal depression which manifested itself in anxiety which was awful, i just wanted to run away.
I am on 150mg per day and don't really suffer side effects that often, however every now and again i will sweat a lot and feel a bit spaced out. This drug has helped but i was on flouxetine a few years back and that really suited me with no side effects at all. I am loathed to change over though at present as am still heavily reliant on help for anxiety.
When i spoke to my doctor about withdrawal symptoms on efexor he suggested to be changed over to a different drug which is easier to wean off and said there should be no problems with this. I do know that when i was on flouxetine and was weaning off i had no problems at all and was free of them within a month.
Good luck with your withdrawal and i will keep reading to see how your getting on.
Have I confirmed your order for the band? Don't want to mention your name on here lol.
:-) yes, thanks.
deb141 - thanks for your tablet change idea. I seem to be that dependant on the brand name of Efexor venlafaxine that when the chemist ran out and gave me a different brand venlafaxine it sent me loopy, it was as if i'd come off it altogether and suffered the most side effects ever and when your on 375mg, that's ALOT of side effects.
:unsure: well, another week gone by, side effects have been quite strong since the decrease in efexor to 225mg. Headaches and spacy feelings being the most, especially in the morning, probably due to efexors short half-life.
kids are still off school which adds pressure, wife is off next week, hopefully to take some of the strain.
Had good days and not so good days, not so good ones when the kids get on eachothers nerves and start shouting and crying etc.. [ One of my problems which started when I became depressed is the need to purchase items. it wouldn't be the item itself that brought the "high" feeling, but when it got delivered, the high would soon wear off and be replaced with guilt for not having the money in the first place to buy it. ] I spoke to my wife about it last week and she suggested to replace those impulse feelings, take myself away from the computer / phone and go and do something which I enjoyed ie. bit of diy / gardening anything to change my train of thought.
When the kids were at each others throats earlier in the week, my mood dropped and had the need to buy, I was on a site on my phone and then remembered what she had said and took myself away to the garden, unfortunately the kids followed, making it worse, everywhere I ended up for those few precious moments to change my thought about buying, the kids followed. Finally i crumbled and found myself back on the site and purchased something.:huh: I'd failed in my aim and told my wife when she came in later that day.
My NMP wristband came, which I wear and will wear until I become drug free, reminding me of the commitment I have made to myself to come of these pills for the greater good.
Thankyou for listening, I shall keep you posted.
Flying Badger
20-08-09, 19:14
The first anti depressant I took was Efexor / Venlafaxine. After 3 years on 140mg / day, I was switched to Citalopram. On the instructions of my GP, I stopped taking the Efexor 'cold turkey' rather than a gradual decrease, and ended up in hospital being treated for shock owing to the withdrawal.
As I had a decent supply of Efexor at home, I decided to come off them my own way, with a very gradual decrease. The withdrawal was still very hard work, but I got through it eventually.
It's great to hear you have support from your wife, and the determination to see it through. One of the major withdrawl symptoms I had was restlessness. I found just going for a walk (plenty of arm swinging!) was a great help, especially to combat that twitchy feeling. Muscle stretching was also useful (a bit like when footballers / athletes do thier warm-up stretching).
Best of luck!
Cheers
Gary
Thanks for the support gary, i appreciate it :-) i do get restless especially in my legs, the wife calls it "laughing legs". When i sit down to watch tv, they're bobbing up and down, drives the wife crazy, sometimes they keep going for hours., if i don't get it out in front of the tv, they spontaniously kick out in bed.
Things are going ok. Not sleeping through, nothing new there though.. Side effects are getting better, think i'm getting used to the reduced dose. Things easier at home with the kids as my wife is off this week and it takes the pressure off loads. Had a kickback earlier in the week when so called "friends" showed their true colours. Never mind, got to keep the goal focused. Got two little hedgehogs in the garden, there's always something ready to cheer you up when you're down, just got to find it :-)
Flying Badger
27-08-09, 18:03
Good to hear things are heading in the right direction! Make sure you take some time for yourself whilst your wife is around to help with the kids too. Doesn't have to be hours on end - just take a few moments out if you need it, and whilst you have the chance.
Cheers
Gary
Well gary, i took your advise about time out and i felt good for it, thankyou. In fact i have felt alot more relaxed since the small brake, so much infact that i have reduced my pills from 3 to 2, that's 225mg to 150mg, just this morning. I felt i was ready and didn't make a big deal to myself about the lower dose. Just took it and carried on, i reckon alot of it is about positive mental attitude. Felt bit spacey this morning, but generally quite good. We got a young canary at the weekend, and while the kids are killing each other until they start school again next week, i can focus on the bird. Distraction is a good one, works for me :-) i'll keep you posted x
Flying Badger
03-09-09, 15:15
Good stuff - taking a little time for yourself is, I think, really important. Certainly something I try to do every now and then.
I suppose I am quite lucky in the fact that I have a really decent keyboard (music keyboard that is) that I can enjoy playing with the headphones on - it makes a nice escape from everything else.
If you've ever thought of taking up a hobby, I can highly reccomend doing so, even if it's something like pursuing something which you currently just have a passing interest in.
Hope things continue in the right direction!
Gary
Well, it's been a couple of weeks now on just 2tabs and i feel quite good. Side effects are minimal and to be honest the constant sweating that i've put up with for the last few years is totally less severe. Even that little thing helps put me in a better frame of mind and boosts my moods. My lads back at school, so there's less pressure there and things are settling down. I play on my DS when i feel a stress coming on and it helps take my mind off things. I keep myself busy with gardening, our new canary and my old car. I'm hoping to reduce to just 1 x75mg tablet at the end of sept and totally off them for christmas. But we'll see, i don't want to set any solid goals just incase something happens. There is no going back to more tablets, they worked when needed and now it's time to come off them. I am in control of them, not them of i. I'll keep you posted, thanks for following my progress.
Stay with it, caged, its very hard to come off antids.... im 6 weeks today without any sertraline and i know what ive gone through ( still am) but take it very slowly and you will come through .......take care xx
Flying Badger
18-09-09, 17:49
Good to hear your making progress!
I'm not sure if you prefer to do this completley solo, but it might be a good idea to have a quick chat with your GP. S/he may be able to help you with the final step, perhaps giving you some 37.5mg tablets to take for a few weeks before stopping completley. I'm not advocating you do this of course, just thought it might be useful.
Cheers
Gary
Thanks guys, your support is appreciated. Mmmm, worth thinking about the 37.5mg especially closer to the time. I'll chew that over with my personal psychiatriac nurse, also known as the wife :-)
ballintoysunset.,
hi, and thanks for supporting me during this time. I personally feel that my meds, same dose and type as yours put me inside a protective bubble. the higher the meds dose, the thicker the bubble walls were...
Everything that was happening before I went inside the bubble was still happening, though I was the one with the barrier. The bubble created a buffer for me, it was my coping mechanism against the world and at 375mg, that's some buffer eh. As you say covering how you feel, not tackeling the problem. I suppose, when I decided to come off them, my main reason for causing me to fall into depression, which was my work was long gone and I thought what else is keeping me inside this bubble, for what reason..? I realised that everyone has their problems, some daily, daily long term, but they cope with things in different ways, not just by using meds. My wife has a stressfull job, she's not on meds, she copes different ways which work for her.
For that, I WILL be able to cope just fine., as flying badger said, a hobby is great, a distraction from what may make you feel down is good, go to that happy place when you feel the darkness come..
I needed the help when I was depressed, help from the meds, but now, 9 years on I'm at a different place in my life, my problems aren't just my own, I do have someone to share them with, to talk to someone about them., my wife is their to help me and that's great. :hugs:
I was in my bubble for 9 years, that's how long it's taken me to change my way of thought, everybody will have different times, there's no rush, no one should be pushing you to come off your meds and out of your bubble. Being able to talk to someone helps me, perhaps you should speak to your doctor before thinking about reducing or coming off your meds. My wife is my doctor in a sense, nobody knows me better than her and I have the extra bonus of her actually being a Physciatric nurse and knowing what she talks about (don't tell her I said that though :winks: )
Last week, I reduced my meds to just one tablet., that's just on 75mg tablet. I woke up one day and thought, today feels like a good day to do it, and I did...................... It has been a REALLY tough week, most of it i was in a different place, felt zoned out, but kept thinking to myself, this will only last for a week and then it will get better - and it has, my zonings gone, I'm started to sleep again and my sweating........., I CAN ACTUALLY FEEL THE COLD.. :) it's great, I can look like the other parents who pick their kids up from school wearing a coat and not sweating, I'm loving it.
It's the little things that I'm getting back are outwaying the effects of coming off the meds, soon they shall be gone from my life. My sexual labido thingy is kinda absent, people have noticed I'm not hyper like I was with the 375mg, even my wife has said that I've calmed down alot. Pre-meds I was pretty laid back, chilled, wouldn't start an argument, just enjoy stuff, you know on the meds though it's superman time, running round manic one day, coming down to earth the next., all over the place really.
So I'm on 75mg of my bubble drug now, and I'll stay on this for at least a couple of weeks, it's got be right, when I come off them, I'm going to have one one day, miss the next and take one the day after and so on - I think..
I'm not there yet, not ready...., but I will be, by god I will be and when that day comes I will not fail, I will not go back and I will succeed in coming out of my 9year EFEXOR venlafaxine Bubble. ~x~
It's going well so far on just 1x75mg tablet. Sleeping better, less waking up through the night and feeling more refreshed in the mornings. I'm feeling happier in myself too and more positive about things.
The little things, kids screaming at each other etc.. still get on my whick, but isn't every 2 and 5 year old a tad annoying sometimes.. and it doesn't make me want to go and bury my head. Days are getting colder, rained cold today and I enjoyed feeling the tempeature drop.
My wife's going to try and get thur and fri off at the end of this month for the school half term, I've ordered myself a 100% heavyweight wool blanket so I can snuggle in it when I feel pants on my coming off them. You know, I'm still interested in doing it at the start of the half term, although my feelings changed from the 1 one day and miss the othe and so on., I am edging more towards the take the last one and that's it route.. it may be tougher, but I'm happy with the decent from 3-1 and the quick recovery time I seem to have over them., we'll see closer to the end of october, think the holidays are 24/10 - 02/11.
Hi., well it's 5 days to go now before I come off my meds., I have feelings of excitement and nervousness, more of the good than the, not bad but, you know, antisipation perhaps. :unsure:
It's a good feeling, it shows me that I'm not going in with rose tinted glasses, I know I could experience a few days of pants, but the thought of being free from them is much better., it's going to be good. My wife is having a few days off so the pressure of the kids at home won't be as mad as the half term hols.., the kids at home will keep me active and stop me sitting down too much and feeling sorry for myself (if that happens..)
I make Puzzleboxes from that well known Clive Barker horror film Hellraiser, for a hobby and have a little website too, which can be found in my details., I hope that someone orders one during my med-free period giving me something positive to focus on, but we'll see, that would be good though....... :)
Anyway I'm planning a few early nights on the run-up to friday and then an early one then, saturday I'll just eat breakfast as normal but not take my pill., easy eh!?! then I'll just throw myself into the daily chors (?) dishes, washing, kids, tidying up etc.. not too much as to feel wreaked, but just enough to keep me active.. it's exciting I must admit, a tad scary too..., I explained to my wife about the pills, I said that when I was fully dosed up it was like looking through a pair of binoculars at everything, with the focus well off, things were there, but distant and well fuzzy..., as the pills dropped, the things got closer and slightly more focused.., 1 pill and they are really close but still a little bit fuzzy. No meds will bring everything here and clear, I will have to retrain my emotions and way of handling things differently so not as to dwell on things too much and let them get to me..
I had to put down a wood pigeon in the garden this morning, which we had noticed to be suffering for a couple of days, there was a buildup of something on its nose at the top of its beak, it couldn't breath without taking big gasps of air into its mouth, yesterday it spent all day sitting on our little gate in the garden with it's head down, gasping for air, I looked on the internet for more information about problems they have and came to a discion this morning after talking to my wife about it. It slept lastnight on the bird table, with its head down and covered in its own dirt, it didn't even move when I went out to feed our hedgehogs (tilly and tully), this morning I opened the back doors softly and it just looked at me gasping for breath.., that was the clincher.., I can't let an animal suffer and after another talk with my wife I decided it was time to free it from its agony. I fired a couple of warning shots hopeing to scare it into flight as it had been grounded for a few days, but nothing, it just flopped to the floor and staggered up the garden path. The shot was acurate and painless and it was free. Of course it made me feel guilty that I had taken a life, but i feel deep in my soul it was the right thing to do. I spent this morning tidying up, disinfecting the table with special bird cleaning spray and disposed of the body. I had to tell you to get it off my chest.
Alright then, I'm off to make the most of a quiet house, the kids are at a party and radio 1 are playing their hits, my canarys singing and I'm feeling better over this morning. Get yourself a Hellraiser puzzlebox if you're into the films, I will enjoy making it for you, got to keep busy..., thankyou for staying with me and the countdown begins............
One question though, what do I do with the loads of pills I'll have spare..? :)
.... 4 days to go.... :ohmy:
I'm feeling excited now, I have to admit, bit like a kid before christmas..
Just thinking about being drug free for the first time in years, is giving me the confidence to carry on the countdown, I've been thinking about this for so long.
Yeah, I know it'll probably suck when I actually stop, but if I keep "bigging" myself up about it, when saturday comes, I should be on enough of a natural high to get me through that day at least... the rest, well we'll just have to wait and see........ glass half full and all that :)
.... 3 days to go..... :scared15:
wow, the days are flying by, twas only five minutes ago I was walking the kids to school and now it's nearly time for bath and bed.., saturday's going to come sooner than I think...
.... I'm still up for it though, think I've gone too far with the preparation in my head to stay on them now, so we'll see..
My wife has been ever so good whilst I've been in my darkness, she's gone to work, earned the money, supported me, bought all the christmas presents for the kids, for her family and mine......, you know if I could have one wish it would be that somebody bought one of the most expensive puzzleboxes on my site, and as well as taking my mind off my withdrawals that I'm going to have whilst I lovingly make it, it would give me the chance to get her something nice for christmas. We've been living very hand-to-mouth since I've been bad and it sucks, shouldn't complain, there's loads of people alot worse off than us and my heart truely goes out to them........, would be nice though, just to say thanks alot, I appreciate you and here's something nice, just for you :hugs:(sorry, just thinking out aloud..... )
Not sleeping that well at the moment, aching alot.., kids are snotty and coughing, waking up in the night, you know the usual. Seemslike the whole world has the flu or something at the moment, and now we've joined it, not that we were feeling left out, but thanks anyway.. Watched Resident Evil, Apocylpse last night, scared me a tad :blush:, my wife says that I was restless in bed alot lastnight, (probably shooting monsters and such), don't think I'll be watching anymore of them at the mo, need good sleeps. No alcohol now on the run up to saturday, need to be clear headed and not give myself an excuse to curl up in a corner with my blanket over my head....
Got to cook now, will post tomorrow....., getting excited again..... :)
... 2 days to go ....... :unsure:
it's wednesday, just two more 75mg tablets to go then that's it. Feeling tad anxious at the moment, still excited, but nervous about waking up saturday and not taking any meds...., will seem strange after all this time.
made a couple of things out of wood lastnight, think I'll try and sell them to get some pennies for christmas, I'll put them on ebay then post the item id so you can take a look, if that's alright..
not much for talking today, feeling up and down (not loads though), I'll check in tomorrow :)
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eBay items: 200396928919 & 200396929744
.... 1 day to go .... :scared15: last tab tomorrow., still feel i can do it although feeling very anxious. Off to bed now, role on tomorrow.
.... 0 days to go ........
:) That's it. Took my tablet this morning as usual, and that is the last one. I shall wake up tomorrow, refreshed, totally relaxed and sane( :roflmao:), well, we'll see anyway...
I'm not expecting it to be a stroll in the park, just do-able. Will start tomorrow off doing something outside in the garden and let the fresh air whoooosh through me, the colder the better to take my mind of those naughty effects the tablets seem to give me...
I'll keep posting and let you know how it's going - wish me luck :scared15:
Feeling Pants. Woke up with bunged nose and thick head. Good timing for a cold eh! Face numb, spacy feeling all day. Not that good at all :-(
I am in a bad place at the moment. BANG, BANG, BANG goes the zapps. :wacko:
Erin 31 - thnkyou. I appreciate the time you have given to comment. :grouphug:
Well let's see....
I'm up and down in temperature, shivering one moment, like a dripping tap the next
mood is mostly feel like crying... at EVERYTHING, even writing this I'm filling up ( ?!? )
I get a sickly feeling after more or less every meal I have
Spacyness (?) and dizzyness totally, (beam me up scottie) :doh:
zzZZZZAAAPPPPPPPPPPPP !!!!! - enough said
The light is hurting my eyes too, which worries me a tad because that's a symptom of iritis..... :shades:
and generally I feel like pants:sofa:
My wifes off tomorrow and then until the kids go back after the break, so that'll be usefull, they are being good though, they know daddys not very well at the moment and bless them for trying (:weep: here we go again ?!?)
Thanks for all the continued support, it's nice to know I'm not on my own in all this., The good news, I'm loosing weight, last time I weighed myself, on MAX dose tabs I was 17 Stone :eek:, the other day when I weighed myself after people kept saying you look better, you've lost weight...., I weighed myself and discovered I was 15 and a half :yahoo:, so that's good anyway.
I'll keep you posted when I'm having a happy half hour, one more thing though, there is NO going back, as far as I'm concerned, they did their job, thankyou., but we'll ride out the withdrawels and come through it triumphantly :yesyes: (eventually.....!!!)
You are starting to sound happier and much more positive cagedbird! :yesyes:
You're being brave. I came off an SSRI a week or so ago and it's been far more difficult than I expected. I came off seroxat a few years back after being on it for 7 years and that was no joke ... Venlafaxine can't be much easier...
Wish you luck...
You are starting to sound happier and much more positive cagedbird! :yesyes:
Do you know Erin31, I feel it. I feel better about myself in general, things are getting clearer., last night I had a good sound sleep and woke up feeling great. :) (finally..)
In general.., I feel like a weight has been lifted off me, it's such a wierd feeling, I was trying to explain it to the wife just lastnight., you can't really explain unless they've been there themselves......., I'm going to have a good day today, I can feel it.
Positive Mental Attitude :whistles:
:D well, i have had a REALLY GOOD day. I went to bed late last night, something which i couldn't do on meds without suffering side effects. I had just 5 hours sleep before the kids woke me up and felt great. We went to a halloween craft event in our local wood where the organisers required me to build a fire for marshmallows which i did. The kids had a fantastic time and me too.
I HAVE HAD NO ILL SIDE EFFECTS TODAY :D non at all. No zaps, no shaky or sick feelings, no nothing.
My thoughts are clear, my speech is clearer and i have not enjoyed a day more in 9years. :-) i did cry this morning when i was writing a letter about my kids on the computer though?!? My wife says i've had my emotions smothered under the meds and now they've gone they've surfaced again, i'll just have to learn to re-tune into them. I had to share this day with you and spread the happiness.
NO SIDE EFFECTS ALL DAY, I THANKYOU :D:D:D
Flying Badger
31-10-09, 13:20
Hi cagedbird.
Great to hear the withdrawal is finally subsiding! I remember vividly the problems I had coming off venlafaxine, but like you, I felt much better for it. Granted, I was switched to citalporam, another SSRI, but being free of the side effects of venlafaxine was a great reward for enduring the withdrawal.
Cheers
Gaz
Hi guys and thanks for the continued support :)
I am here to tell you that ALL my side-effects are now GONE !!!
Since my last post on the 30th, I have experienced NO side-effects, no Zzzzzapinggggg, no nothing., it feels like I have been reborn it truely does. :yahoo::yahoo::yahoo:
My speach is clearer, my thoughts and response are crisp, my attitude to life is relaxed, as it was before any of this had happened, just everything is better. Even the kids don't p*** me off anymore :D
I am experiencing cold weather, no sweating, no needing to stay in a chair and wish i was in a hole, I'm staying awake in the evenings on my computer like I like doing. I've come out of my shell, joined Facebook and re-joined a VW forum. I even took the kids round to the mother-in-laws at Halloween :ohmy::ohmy::ohmy: something I haven't done for AGES.....
Everything is good and I am enjoying my little family life.. My wife is well pleased with my progress and comments frequently about how brighter in myself I am. :yesyes:
I will keep posting to share with you guys for a while, perhaps till the new year. Thankyou for all your help and support through my transformation into the new drug-free me. Venlafaxine are good, they're very good, when it's time to come off them, only you can decide, not your friend, not your doctors, it's your mind, nobody knows it better than you. Take your time, be POSTIVE about coming off them, alot of it is PMA (positive mental attitude) - I said I was going to give them up and I did, and I feel absolutely fantastic for doing so. Make sure the time is right and there are people around you for the bad days.....,
26-10-09 20:48 - "I am in a bad place at the moment, bang, bang, bang goes the zapps"
and there were bad days, but from the 24th october to now hasn't been that long and I am clear and have a healthy appetite for life...
Thanks to "No More Panic" for the wristband, it's helped me alot through this, everytime I thought of giving up, many times scrunched up in the bath under a hot shower, I would look at my wristband - a physical thing which I could touch and it would help me change my train of thoughts.. I would think about you guys, there to support me whenever I needed it, day or night thankyou :winks:
Thanks guys, I'm high on life but without the meds :bighug1:
Flying Badger
05-11-09, 11:48
Fantastic to hear, cagedbird. I can think of nothing more apt to say than simply bloody well done!
Cheers
Gary
Well done Cagedbird :yesyes:
Good Times folks :yesyes:
Feeling great, everyday just gets clearer and clearer..,
........ made 3kg Jam today, chocolate ricekrispy cakes and chocolate chip chip cookies with my son, cleaned the kitchen, cleaned out the canary, played basketball outside, had me hair cut and now just cooking tea.
Full of life and enjoying it., feel happier and more confident in myself....
Good Times :D
Question: What do I do with the Medicine that is unused, I paid for it so it's mine, it's a legal drug....??? am I able to sell it, do I bin it - don't know what, advise please
cheers guys............................. :bighug1:
Hi Birdcage,
I stumbled upon this thread of yours by accident, but I am so glad that I did. I have read through this afternoon all of the posts on here and your progress. You should be so proud of yourself for what you have accomplished, and I truly hope that you continue with PMA and wish one day that I too can be like yourself.
Good luck and much happiness for you and your family.
Ruth x:yesyes:
Hi manuruth, :D it's cagedbird by the way not birdcage :roflmao:
Thanks for taking the time to read my story, I am so well now, I can hardly believe it myself, I cook, clean, play with the kids, stay up late eat when I want to and not when the meds tell me to., I've lost weight, I feel happier in myself and everything is so damn clearer...
Side effects from totally stopping only lasted a couple of weeks really before I started to notice how well I was feeling.. my heart really does go out to people stuck on this med, it's a good med, but side effects were well pants. Anyway PMA is my key, I told myself I was coming off them and I did.... good luck, just believe in yourself and make it happen...
Don't know what to do with all the over meds that I have, I know that Efexor are stopping making the meds now as my chemist told me that I would be on just the generic version as the efexor is ceasing.. I have however loads of the efexor meds left as I know longer need them and haven't got a clue what to do with them.... bin... ? sell them.... ? I don't know. What does anybody reckon....?
Hi Cagedbird.
So good to hear you are doing so well :yesyes:
Could you not just take your med's back to the pharmacy and get them to dispose of them?
I have some left and am holding on to them at the moment (a bit like a comfort blanket) but when I feel confident enough I will take mine to the pharmacy.
I certainly wouldn't pass them onto anyone else!
Keep up the good work :)
hi erin (nice name by the way) good idea, i'll keep them a while, you never know, and then give them back to the chemist and let them dispose of them . Thankyou and good to hear from you :-)
Hi Cagedbird,
I'm so sorry I got your name wrong, I do apologise. Just shows what state my mind is in, constantly racing etc. I am so happy for you, that you are continuing to feel well!!! I hope you have a happy christmas and a very happy new year/start.
Ruth x
Thanks Ruth, it's ok it made me giggle :D, thanks for your kind words....
Progress update......
Feeling - fantastic
Sleeping - very well
mood - mostly happy
side effects - absolutely nothing
sexual status - getting my libedo (?) back :yesyes:
Looking forward to christmas, treating my two little ones to the cinema tomorrow morning for the first time in their little lives, should be fun (unless they start screeming when the lights go out that is :D )
Good times folks, good times :bighug1:
Hope the trip to the cinema went well.
This post gives so much hope to anyone thinking it will never get better.
Just wish everyone on the forum could feel as good :hugs:
Hope the trip to the cinema went well.
This post gives so much hope to anyone thinking it will never get better.
Just wish everyone on the forum could feel as good :hugs: - :bighug1:thanks erin31 xXx
Cinema went brill., kids were Sooooo well behaved, almost thought i'd left my two little monsters at home :) bless....
Taking responsability for my money "troubles" now - contacted the bank to increase overdraft, making wooden vw things and selling them on the internet to raise money, stopped my impulse spending, which I had when on the meds (well really, really trying anyway :), sometimes things just slip through, only little things though, not major expensive things)
Writing to this helps alot, helps me to write my feelings and then forces me to read them back and then they sink in., if that makes any kind of sense. - soon be christmas, actually looking forward to it, for me and the family :)
I set out a goal a few months ago to be drug and side effect free for my family, my kids and my wife, by christmas 2009, and i can say
" I'VE DONE IT...., i've actually done it !!! " :yesyes:
If I can, anyone can, you've just got to believe in yourself and as this site logo is "Just Flipping Do It" - love you all for being there ... :winks: xXx
:) Well folks, hope you all had a merry christmas and make it through the new year ok...
This will be my last post to my venlafaxine thread as it marks an end to my dependance on efexor venlafaxine and also an end to my depression recovery.
It has been a long journey from before I was diagnosed with depression to this moment in time, there have been some dark months along the way, controlled with a drug i've been alive but barely living.
You only begin to realise how powerful this drug / medicine, call it as you will, is when you truely come off it. Things are very different now, my family, my kids, my role in this world we call life. You tend to appreciate the little things, the simple things that were there all along, but not so clear............ a walk in the park is so much different, the sky is clearer, the air fresher, the grass greener and the smells, particularly this time of year, the smells of the trees and the grass is so amazing.......
I give to you, my readers, one last gift for christmas and the new year, a gift from me to you, a gift of both hope and happiness.., I thankyou from the bottom of my heart for staying with me through my withdrawel off venlafaxine, I can honestly say I couldn't have done it without your support. I cut off my nomorepanic wristband the other day, a sign that symbolises to me that the circle once again is complete, I am what I was before the darkness began, i have served my time in hell and it wasn't a nice place.
I hope you all have the courage to face your demons and search inside for that person that the darkness took away from you., be positive, you only have this life. Be happy in yourself, you're better than any medicine.
I wish you a happy new year and thankyou for allowing me into your hearts., this is me saying I'm high on life., but without the meds :)
Good Bye, God bless xXx :bighug1:
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