I'm currently being weaned off Effexor 150mg daily, my doctor wants me to take it slow so it's going to be a few week process before I am actually off it. She's given me Valium as my DAILY panic attacks are unbearable. I'm finding the Valium very good. I started on Friday...taking 2.5mg in the morning and 2.5mg at night. However, today I'm feeling like shit. My heads all over the place, my stomach is qweezy & I over all just feel yuck! Can anyone shed some light on what I am feeling right now? I'm starting to get myself into a panic which I'm not wanting to do, as since I started taking the Valium on Friday I haven't had one panic attack...which is massive for me! I'm scared of every symptom & feeling I'm getting right now..! Since Friday I've been able to function and I've been calm, but today...I dunno, j just don't feel very well
Thanks,
Kelly x
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AussieKel83
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Hang in there. If it's still really weird tomorrrow, call you dr and let her know. The daily changes might be because you are coming off of the Effexor. Remember that Effexor is an SSRI anf Valium isn't and will work differently with your brain chemistry. I hope she is going to put you one something else. I know little about frequent panic attacks. I've only had 2 in my life.
Hi Carol, thank you for your reply. I'm not in a good mind set right now, totally freaking out that both medications are making me sick! I don't know what to do
Usually valium doesn't have side effects that make you sick in your tummy. You can get too relaxed or sleepy - but that said, I have no idea about interaction of the two. The real point is that if there was an interaction, your doctor would not have prescribed them together. If you want to reassure yourself, just go to "drug interactions" online and insert them to see.
I was on too high of a dose of Effexor XR about 10 years ago, and when I was initially on it, my body and my mind needed it for anxiety. I'd been on it about 4 years when I was in a high-stress job. The, at the end of that time, my world got crazy.
My company was closing, I was getting married after 22 years of being divorced and a single mom, my son was moving to his own place, so I was going through empty nest stuff - aggrivated by the fact my son has Aspergers. Top it off, my husband didn't help at all with the wedding plans, no plans to go to Paris for our honeymoon. He would say, "I do the asking, you do the planning."
Only recently after 10 years of marriage has he recently been diagnosed with Aspergers - so at the time, that also contributed to the stress.
After life quieted down and my company had closed and I had retired early, I started to feel awful. I couldn't get up until 10 a.m. If I got up earlier, I felt drugged. Then by 4 p.m., I felt exhausted and by 5 p.m., so exhausted, i was sick to my stomach. I went to my dr a lot. I started with a therapist, thinking it was all in my head (it wasn't).
Finally, after most of a year of this, it dawned on me to look up what the symptoms of too much seritonian in the brain were, and there I was. I got off the Effexor XR under my doctor's supervision, and was much better.
I am not saying that this is your problem. What I am saying is that doctors really don't know everything.
But I am also saying - try to keep your cool. What scares you the most? Is it that you think something terrible is going to happen? Is it a fear of loss of control? Or is it something else? Do you have to work in this condition?
Sometimes, we have to help ourselves, as I finally did. But most of all, during difficult times like that, I tell myself that in a year, I'll be in a different place and so not to fear the present quite so much.
Wow, you really has a lot going on at once...I'm sorry to hear you had to go through all of that how's your son doing?
My life in a nut shell is fine. I have no worries or complaints about my life in general...its just my anxiety & panic attacks that make myself feel crappy. I constantly am in anxious mode, over think everything, think something bads going to happen, make excuses so I don't to go places, the second I open my eyes it's negative thoughts instead of just waking up & starting my day like any other person, I'm worried I'm a bad mum because my anxiety stops me from going places when my partner & daughter go, I cry and then cry more if my daughter see's me in one of my "moments", constant fear that I'm sick and worry that I'll die because how will by little girl cope without me...! Just so many negative things & it's so hard to control all those wasted energy thoughts
Good on you for beating this "demon" we've all been unlucky enough to face! Wish I had the will power you have.
U R so funny - "My life is fine...it's just my panic attacks." I remember the first time I recognized that my mind was thinking negative thought that were upsetting me all of the time. I was with my son in the car and about to stop at a bakery that had the deliscious lace cookies I loved. As I was trying to find a place to park, I became aware that I was constantly thinking about how would I cope if my toddler son died. That's when I realized some of my own thought patterns were contributing to my anxiety. On that day, I began to practice not letting myself dwell on morbid thoughts - but ohhhh! Does the mind ever like to return to them. It's crazy. I'd talk to myself and say, "Nope, not going to let you do that!" when they began to reappear. I'd work on thinking about things that didn't create anxiety. It was hard work.
These days, I still work on anxiet. I've been permanently on Celexa for years, and it's been fine. I have learned, for whatever reason, that if I am wakeful in the morning, but still partly asleep, I get morbid thoughts. It must have to do with something about how the brain is different at night than it is turing the day. At least I recognize those thoughts for whet they are - an "awakening" condition that happens a lot, and go to work on them right away - substituting them with a happy, guided fantasy. Still hard work. But it makes me feel a little more in charge.
I no longer feel any guilt about stuggling with morbid thoughts. I accept that they have something to do with my brain chemistry, so I work on erradicating them the best I can. I have no clue why our brains start to think thiis was, but we do have the power to say "No." and bring about some change. My anxiety issues are life-long, so for the sake of my survival and overall comfort, I do continually challenge myself about those thought. No easy, but it is possible to reduce them quite a lot.
Hahaha I probably should have described it a lot better. I have no need to have anxiety as everything around me is completely normal...its just ME who is the problem
Wow, you seem to be kicking ass at this...reading that people can get control over it makes me so determined to do the same, but I just can't. I'm so scared for my little girl that I'm going to make her just like me, she doesn't need a shitty mother in her life like I am. Buying her gifts constantly and spoiling her to contract me not being able to take her for a drive or to the park makes me physically ill! It's always on my mind how shit of a person I am...I wish I could be my old self again.
I should add to my note below that I never had any sort of withdrawal symptoms, but it sure doesn't meat others don't. My only difficult WD was when I was briefly on Prozac. I would wak up in the a.m. with whole body tremors, so felt I should get off fast and went cold turkey, so felt a little ill for a couple of days. The REALLY FUNNY side effect for getting off was that I started to talk to myself out loud a lot. I know what was happening, so I thought it funny. At the end of the work day, I'd be waitinng for the elevator talking outloud and someone would walk up and I'd be embarasses - but it stopped when the drug wore off. Sure gave me some insite into people with mental problems who talk to themselves - probably a brain chemistry issue.
How many days have you been off effexor? Ideally, if you were taking 150 mg a day you would taper off with decreasing smaller doses over 4-6 weeks. So you would go from 150 to 100 for 10 days to 2 weeks and then 50 for 2-3 weeks and then every other day to every two days, etc. You really have to go very slow with effexor because the withdrawal (Doctors call it discontinuation discomfort or discontinuation syndrome) is from hell. And the symptoms you're describing is exactly what that feels like. I know because I was on effexor for 6 years, and a couple of times I ran out when I was out of town and hadn't brought enough with me. And your description is EXACTLY how I felt. And valium affects a different part of your brain, so it's only marginally effective at decreasing the symptoms. Best of luck quitting it.
And the third day is when the symptoms from quitting really kick in, so in a sense, you're feeling the way you should. As if that's some consolation (I know it's not)
Makes me feel a tad better knowing what I am feeling is normal. It's such a hard process...so over the crap feeling! Thanks for confirming it for me, I really appreciate it
I've only been weaning off for a few days. I'm doing 150mg 1 day, then 75mg the next for 1 week. Next week I'm to do 75mg for the week, week after 75mg 1 day, 37.5mg next day & so on the for that week, then 37.5mg for the week & then hopefully come off it. I'm feel sooooooo shit tonight. Heart is racing, I feel like like crap...it's freaking me out like jot hint else! I don't know if what I'm feeling is right
And I'm so fidgety. Every feeling I feel is bringing on my anxiety. I took my Valium about and hour ago, and my anxiety seems to be pushing though that. This sucks so bad...I HATE this! I'm so worried the 2 drugs are mucking me up and are hurting me I'm freaking out big time!!!!!!!
You LUCKY LUCKY person,you,my dr will only give me 7 valium a MONTH!! my life is one long panic attack!! Efexor rings bell,hve been on just abt all th ssri's & snri's,paroxetine was the only one gave me wthdrawel symp-dont worry,it will pass Gd luck! xx
That will be the coming down from the effexor i think! Have been on 225mg for over ten years but if i forget to take them for a couple of days it reminds me to take them as firstly i get a cough, then i get a sort of dizzy spaced out feeling, lack of ballance and feel sort of sick but not ifu know what i mean.... It all subsides about 1.5 hrs after i remember to take them so i would presume that is why u feel crappie! It goes after a couple of days if you arecoming off them... Sugary drinks helped me! But that is just me.. Theyhad alcohol in too lol.
I know that feeling so well. You can't get comfortable (both mentally and physically) no matter what. Just hang in there, you're not dying (despite the fact that your fairly certain you are) and this will eventually pass. I used CBT (cognitive behavior therapy) to help me, constantly reminding myself that these feelings are drug related and in my mind only. It used to help a little bit. I hope you feel better.
Hi Kelly is that venlafaxine your reducing from ?? I'm starting on them I'm on 75mg and feel like you do, they make me feel sick with headaches, dizzy spells and Iv cried for two days, and stayed in bed, I need to drink loads it water as I'm really thirsty all the time, can you remember how you felt starting this medication. ???? I have a feeling you and I are experiencing the same side effects, I can't take the diazpam my GP has given me to help as they are adding to how tied Iam please try and reply to me as Iv been on the depressin site asking people on there exactly the same as you but I'm starting on them and wanting to know will these side effects stop, I'm going into my third ( 3) week ???
Hi Hun, yes that's correct. I don't want to worry you as they may work for you, but when you decide to come off them, the withdrawal is horrible why has your doctor put you on them? I found they haven't worked for me, and after taking them for 7 years and the Drs just uping my dose instead of changing it (thankful for my new dr for finally taking me off them) but people also have good reviews on them, so it's each to their own. The crying etc is just your body adjusting to the chemical that's in the drug. If you really feel they are making you worse not better, let your gp no and maybe this isn't the right drug for you. How are you finding your sleep pattern is on them? I hope you're okay, Kelly xxx
Oh Kelly Iv been awful, I did hear that coming off then was horrfic but never heard anything about starting on them, I do believe there very strong, I have tried a few over twenty eight years and I'd say all of them always worked for many many years, but in jaunary I was put back on sertraline I have gone up to the max strengh and they did very little if anything, so my GP decide for me to start on venlafaxine, she was giving me another at first but it was weight gaining so we decided this one ????! I'm going into my third week on 75 mg last Monday I was supposed to increase to 150, but she saw I was suffering far to much, she said to finish the (28) day course and come back, can you remember how you felt starting on them, I suppose after 7 years you can't remember how you feeling now ? Please explain your symptoms xx
I'm sorry to hear you're having such a horrible time on them. I'm no expert, but if you've been on them almost 1 month & no symptoms have changed I'd definitely go to your gp for a review. When I started my symptoms weren't as bad as coming off. I had like a boost of energy when starting, I wasn't hungry, and wide awake. Although, I do remember crying randomly. How much longer until you can go back to your doctor after you've finished your 28 days? X
Tell your gp everything your experiencing. Even write it down as if you are like me going to the Drs gets me in a bad enough state/worry so i tend to forget everything I need to tell her when I get there. Please keep me updated on how you go! Best of luck x
Hi Kel, also I meant to say diazpam/ Valium work within an hour of taking them and last up to six hours they relax your muscles and are a calming tablet , I had to stop taking diazpam when I went to 75mg venlafaxine as the two together was making me far far to sleepy, ( I could only take the diazpam of a noght yo help me sleep ) please let me know how your getting on daily private or on here as we are both going though the same awful side effects but your reducing/ I am starting ( same effects ) so hopefully on Thursday I will be in the same boat as you reducing, I'm here any time you need a chat, you keep going it won't be long before there out your system, what antidpressant are you wanting to change to ??
Hi Kel thank you so much for taking the time to relpy and ( care ) it really does mean a lot, I go see my GP day after tomorrow and I have to expect this medication is not working for me Iv been on it five / six weeks now and the side effects are to much for me, I'm just really worried wha to start on next, as Iv taken antidpressants for twenty eight years and they have always worked for many many years at a Time, but lately nothing is working ????
hey Kelly i had a friend who came off her Effexor and she didnt feel well at all in fact these are probably the strongest antidepressants out there with some very very nasty side effects trying to get off them sorry to hear that youre feeling crap. its the effect of those drugs thats all nothing more but they can be bad enough will take a wee while before you can get past the withdrawal stage but do it real slow like the doctor said.
Effexor have a kick off side effect to stop panic attacks, I've been on them and diazepam for along time. Think it would help if you do it far slower. Good luck
So you take both meds together & you don't notice any side effects from taking the 2? I need to get out of my head that taking the 2 meds are making me sick. Mind you, I've only just started on the Valium...is it normal to feel groggy for a couple of days after taking that?
Definitely fine to take both together! Don't worry as that in itself can make you feel more anxious! Just give your body a little time to adjust to lowering effexor and getting used to diazepam x
Thank you that made me feel better. As I wasn't coping very well lowering my Effexor dose, we are keeping me on my normal dose until I start seeing a psychologist. As for the Valium, how many days should it take for my body to adjust and not make me so lazy
Thought it was lowering your Effexor make you feel like crap. With Valium I'd say a couple of weeks to get used to them. If you're taking them to stop panic attacks it's worth feeling lazy instead of having those!
That's exactly what i said to my partner today, it's going to take my body a while to get use to the Valium, but I'd much prefer to feel like a lazy shit than a panic attack head 24/7 lol. Thanks so much for your advice, it's really making a difference how I'm looking at this step im taking.
Thanks for all the replies guys. I'm struggling big time...I hate Effexor...makes me just want to continue to take it so I don't feel like this anymore. I called a medicine helpline here in Australia, as I needed to be so certain the 2 drugs weren't interacting with each other, and she said they don't...my kind won't allow me to believe that aaaarrrggghhh!
I've spoken with my doctor today, and as I'm not coping with the lower dosage of Effexor, we are going to keep my normal dose at 150mg until I start seeing my physiologist. I think it's all mid over matter, so I was worried it was the Valium making me sick, so today o took the 150mg of my Effexor and by this afternoon I felt better. Thank you for your reply x
I take Paroxetine (Seroxat) very small dose - has helped with my anxiety. I just take Valium (Diazepam) a couple of nights a week for sleep. You also have to be careful with tranquillisers because you can build up a tolerance to them too and also suffer withdrawals when coming off. This is why I don't take them every day. Best wishes
Hi, I've been on venlafaxine 300mg per day for nearly 3 years now. I'm also on valium 10mg per day and mirtazapine 45mg.
Could I ask Kelly? Is your doctor planning to replace the venlafaxine with another anti-dep or to allow you to go without ADs altogether?
I will say one thing about the ven. A side effect that stands out for me is if I see or hear something emotive on TV or wherever. When you get those 'chills' or your hair stands on end, with the ven that reaction is exaggerated...much more intense.
I do hope your anxiety is resolved one way or another. Take care.
Yep, so when I'm finally of the Effexor she will put me on something else. With the Valium, as I've only been taking it since Friday, is my body still adjusting to it? I'm finding it's taking the panic away but my energy levels are low. I could just laze around all day and that's not normally me. I'm taking 2.5mg in the morning & 2.5mg at night. I don't know if it's in my head to be lazy or what?
Well valium being a sedative it will help you feel chilled out but sleepiness is another effect and I think that's what you're getting Kelly. Your body will certainly be adjusting to it yes as you will also have no tolerance to the drug.
Oh Kelly, I'm so so pleased you have came on this site, I have just been reading though your messages, and you have definitely made my mind up to stop taking venlafaxine, firstly that's exactly the way I have been no energy at all, and wanting to sleep all the time, and secondly I will have the same awful symptoms as you when the time to come off them comes around for me to do, THANK YOU so much you really have helped me to be very poistive to change, how you feeling now ?? Xx
Hi Kelly, i am curious to know why you are being weaned off effexor xr? and doc using a addictive medication to enable you to come off it. I am 51 and have been takign eefexor xr 150mg daily for past 4 years, i also use valium too 3 x 5mg a day to help with anxiety too, i am not better but i have been able to function much better since being on effexor.
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