Effexor Treatment Withdrawal Plan: A Personal Account, Part 2

Withdrawal Plan Day Three
Thursday, August 28: Everything went okay. Nothing substantial stands out in my memory. I wanted to also note that today was a work day for me so I took my medicine at approximately 4:30 a.m. I did not have a nap. Asleep by 10 p.m.

Withdrawal Plan Day Four
Friday, August 29, was an okay day but by about 6:30 p.m. I was noticing that I was having a hard time focusing on looking at the computer. It was like my vision was kind of bouncy and hard to focus stuff. I was looking at fabric samples on line and it was like the color was real bright and kind of hurt my eyes. I decided to take a break from it and not press my luck. I decided to rest awhile and eat. So I just sat relaxed and watched some t.v. the rest of the night til I eventually fell asleep. I don't know when it was but probably by 9-9:30 p.m. Again, it was a work day so my meds were taken around 4:30 a.m. Also no nap this day. I don't believe I have probably had a nap since Tuesday. I don't even know if it's important to note but I'm wondering if it's going to have anything to do with how this works out.

Withdrawal Plan Day Five
Saturday, August 30, and it's currently twenty minutes til five in the evening. This being a Saturday I did not get up until 7:30. I took my medicine when I got up and I have to note that so far this has just been a normal lazy day. But I personally feel lazy too. Just tired. I wanted to get so much done but since my head had felt real good today I have been on the computer quite a bit and lost my momentum. lol. I so pray that this ordeal doesn't get any worse than this and I think I can handle it.

Withdrawal Plan Day Six
Sunday, August 31st has been a good day. I got up late and didn't take my meds til 9:30 a.m. I didn't feel too bad before I got them taken either. I have been working on a quilt all day and the computer quite a bit with no distortions or problems focusing. I figured I have a severe headache from all the close up work I did on the quilt but not at all. I'm really happy. I can do this. Whoo Hoo!!!!

Withdrawal Plan Day Seven
Monday, September 1, Labor Day, I had to work so meds were taken at 4:30 a.m. I didn't have any problems at all. I had a great big old nap after work and felt clear-headed all day.

Findings at end of Week One:
One week has passed since I officially began my withdrawal regimen. I've had very little problems so far but I had also been trying to get by on the one pill anyway for sometime prior to beginning this. A few of the problems I think I had with vision and such may or may not be related to the withdrawal plan. I'm sure it is but I don't feel it's anything significant at all. Not at this point anyway. I have some anxiety about the last two weeks of the plan where I will only be taking the medication every other day. But hopefully by then I will be ready for it and take it as it comes. If it goes as well as this first week has, I am sure I will be fine and effexor free at the end of the four weeks.

Withdrawal Plan Day Eight
Tuesday, September 2nd was another great day. Nothing particular stands out at all. It was a work day so again, the 4:30 meds were taken and then I had another big huge nap last night because no one was home and it was just peaceful. I was never an advocate of napping until I worked third shift about six years ago. I realized we need to listen to our bodies when they are tired and if I can't full out sleep, I do sometimes take time for closing my eyes and just relaxing to rejuvenate my mind and body. Perhaps the napping is helping to keep the side effects of withdrawal at bay for me. I'll do anything to get off this stuff and I just wish this next three weeks were over in that regard.

Withdrawal Plan Day Nine
Wednesday, September 3, is my day off again. I didn't take meds til around 7 a.m. today. I was real sick to my stomach just around 8 a.m. and felt really tired so I laid back down and after about an hour and a half, I am feeling much better. I thought I may actually be sick earlier but that feeling has passed. And I think that is just from taking the medicine on an empty stomach and some days are worse than others. My head feels fine and I am thinking about trying to finish the quilt I've been working on.

Withdrawal Plan Days Ten thru Fifteen
So as not to bore the reader absolutely to nausea, at this point I have decided to compile the daily logs into groups because through day fifteen there was just more or less the same to report as in the first nine days progress. Nothing I haven't been able to handle at all. Just a little dizziness and irritated stomach which is my fault for not taking this med with food. Just can't eat something that early in the morning. I've napped a lot but I know my work schedule has a lot to do with that. But I am happy to report that all has been bearable to this point so far and I can't express how thankful I am for that. At this point I am halfway done with the four week plan.

Withdrawal Plan Day Sixteen
Wednesday, September 10th is the first day of the second phase of the withdrawal plan. I now begin taking one 37.5 mg pill every other day. This day was the first day without it. I did really well. I had to go in on my day off at work to cover someone for 2 hours and all went well. I came home and did some things around the house and on the computer with ease but I did take a long nap and when I woke up around five that afternoon, I was developing the "straight tripping feeling." I just decided I was going to get through this and because of the fuzzy head and dizziness I went about my business but in a very slow manner and I managed fairly well. It still is a bit worrisome to have that wait and see feeling as to how you may react to something like this. But having gone through probably what might be the worst of it, being the first day, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna be fine.

Withdrawal Plan Day Seventeen
Thursday, September 11th was a day back on the medication. No problems to report.

Withdrawal Plan Day Eighteen
Friday, September 12th was a busy Friday at my work. I was kind of hesitant to see what the day might bring because I knew I would be flying around 90 miles an hour at work and if I were going to be having problems, it would be my luck, this would be the day I'd make or break so to speak. I just kept telling myself not to think about it. I went about with my business just as if I had gotten up and taken that pill. But, I also took comfort in knowing it was in my purse and if I had the slightest bit of problems while at work, I would take it. But, I found that I had very little problems and made it just fine. At home I kind of ran out of energy around 3 and took a little nap. While I had some head problems, again I just took it nice and slow and even on the computer while tired in the evening, I found I could focus and it didn't give me a headache or play with my eyes at all. By bedtime, around 11 I did kind of feel like my eyeballs were bouncing while trying to watch t.v. So I just went to bed.

Withdrawal Plan Day Nineteen
Saturday, September 13th. I am sitting here at home on the rainiest Saturday morning in a long, long time. I woke up around 8:30 this morning and headed straight for my pill bottle. Now a few hours later, I am feeling fine and getting ready to get some housework done. Today, I had some thoughts about all of this and I thought that if this morning when I got up was the worst I would feel until I got another dose of this medicine, I can do it. Surely it can't get worse as time goes by. I guess we will see. Another thing I have been thinking about is how I don't feel any more or less agitated or panicked or fearful than normal. I have worried about the anxiety attacks getting worse again and the depression creeping it's ugly head back but there's no significant change to report. I might even be looking forward to attending the county fair next Saturday which is something I haven't done in years. I say I might be looking forward to it because in the past while I might want to do something desperately, I always tend to chicken out in the end and stay home. The desire to stay here and be safe and not hassled outweighs any longing I might have to actually partake in something. But the "looking forward" to it part is what sparks hope for me today.

On a very, very serious note I want to mention a very special, special thanks to my family right now for their support during this time. My husband is the sweetest man alive. On the days when I haven't felt quite right, he has stepped in and took care of meals and housework even after he has worked an 11-13 hour day at his highly demanding job. I didn't think he got this. Now I know he has. My oldest son is my cheerleader. He tells me I am strong and I can beat this and he encourages me to not falter to it. My youngest son is just trying his hardest to be independent and to not burden me with much now. Which to me is bittersweet. I've always told my kids they can come to me with anything and you'd be surprised what they have but he's just really impressed me with how he's matured the last few months and call it coincidence or just the life and times of a teenage boy but I truly feel he is trying to help me through in his own way. I just don't ever want him to feel he has to do it himself because I might not be able to handle it. I try not to think of that right now though. Which then makes me feel selfish in some way. Oh, the woes of a modern day nut. lol. But , back on topic, to my fellas: I love you all more than you will ever know and to have you each by my side through not just this but all of life's journeys we've shared means the world to me. If it were not for these three my life would have no purpose. For these three, I fight. I fight hard. Always have, always will!!!! This is just one of those little struggles. We will be alright.

I will update again in the coming days and hopefully will wrap this article up on or about September 23rd.

Withdrawal Plan Day Twenty
Sunday, September 14th. This was a "no-pill" day as I've come to call them around the house. I was up around 7:30 and had a full busy day with no naps. I felt pretty well. Just some slight straight tripping but nothing, nothing at all like it was in the beginning and very infrequent. I might notice a difference in the straight tripping if I eat. Maybe. Can't prove that one. And I've noticed that if I do nap, I have problems right after I wake up. So maybe eating more and sleeping less is the strategy. lol. One thing I wanted to note was that we were having some severe weather Sunday evening and the power was out. I did kind of panic for a moment because I hadn't paid any attention to the weather reports all day and then when the lights went out I had no idea what we were up against. I figured sure we were under a tornado warning. We also had a very drunk friend stop by to wait out the storm with us and he made me so nervous. I called my big bro to see if he could fill me in on the weather and he told me what was going on and while I was talking to him, our power came back on so I settled down alot. The drunk friend also made his way on towards home too. But if that's the worse the anxiety can get without medication, I think I can learn some ways to deal with that. I hope so anyway.

Withdrawal Plan Day Twenty-One
Monday, September 15th. Nothing to report. It was an "on" day.

Withdrawal Plan Day Twenty-Two
Tuesday, September 16th. Another "no-pill" day. Feel even better today than I did on Sunday. So very few incidences of the funky head and nothing intense whatsoever. I smile as I write this because I think I've got it beat. I pray I have it beat. Seems like all my worries and concerns were perhaps for nothing. But I wanted to be prepared to do this and I did my homework on the topic. Too bad I came across all the horrifying information that I did. Tomorrow is an "on" day and I think when I get up, instead of racing for the pill bottle like I normally have, I will wait. I'll wait maybe til I start having some discomfort before I take it or at least wait til say noon. Then the next time I'm off a day, I can try to wait even longer. And before we know it, I'll be done. Today is the end of week 3 of the plan.

Withdrawal Plan Days Twenty-Three thru Twenty-Seven
Again, due to more or less the same insignificant information as previously reported, I have decided to group this period of time also. It was another span of on days, off days and the same symptoms and situations basically as I've already spoken of since this regime of skipping a day with the medication began. Today, Sunday, September 21 I took my very last dose of Effexor. I am so glad to be done with it and can stop checking the calendar and get on with it. I must admit that tomorrow doesn't scare me as bad as the next day. It will be the first day that I will actually be done and should know after two days of not taking the medication how it's going to work. I can handle it if it doesn't get any worse than it has been these last few weeks. But if it should worsen, I worry about what I'll do. I do not want to take it again. And I'm afraid that I'll run right back to it if the withdrawal gets too bad. Perhaps that will be Part 3 to my story.

In Summary
First of all I'd like to thank everyone who has supported me through this last four weeks and taken an interest in following my withdrawal plan. I appreciate that. Secondly, I'd like to sum up what my thoughts are about being on and coming off the medication and what I'd like to say about this drug, Effexor.

When I began taking this medication, I needed it. And I have to say that I truly feel Effexor helped me through some very rough times and helped me deal with what life had to bring for many years now. I will not "knock" this drug as one that I would not recommend as I feel it did help me. However, I do wish I had known what coming off of it might be like before I decided to start it. As stated before, I did my homework on this topic and what I found was not at all pleasant regarding withdrawal. So, I had some bad vibes going in but I also must state that my personal experience thus far in coming off of it has not been a terrible ordeal for me. Sure I have reported some problems, but there has not been anything that I could not handle or that I have really minded going through in order to achieve the outcome of being able to get off of it. I would not discourage anyone from taking this medication if they have been unsuccessful with another type of medication as I was. But I would advise that you know what you are getting yourself into and that you can handle the outcome if you decide to come off of it at some point in time. Everyone is different and from what I've read, I recommend you prepare for the worst and be ecstatic if you have the kind of results I've had with Effexor. I also cannot stress how important I feel it is that you work with your physician and follow their directions for use with the medication and when the time comes that you feel you no longer need it, please consult your physician for a withdrawal plan as I have. I cannot imagine what stopping this "cold turkey" would do to someone. I, for one did not want to find out. I hope that my life will go on happily ever after from here now that I am ready to chart a new course. If it does not, I will be back with updated info. Thanks for looking!