Effexor: For people who are taking or who have taken it?
For anyone familiar with effexor, you know the side effects of withdrawl. The dizziness, or brain shivers, is the most noticeable. I have also noticed in the past month or so that when I forget to take it that when I’ve just fallen asleep I wake up gasping for breath and my heart pounding. It happens about four times before it finally goes away for the night. I thought at first it was sleep apnea, however it only happens when I’ve forgotten to take the effexor. I asked my psychiatrist about it and he said it sounded like panic attacks. He never heard of panic attacks as a symptom of effexor withdrawl. I never have had panic attacks before so I am just wondering if anyone else has had panic attacks as a withdrawl symptom from effexor.
On a side note, even though effexor has done wonders for my mental health, why would a drug company continue to manufacture a medication with such bad effects from withdrawl?
Like I already wrote, it happens only wh en I haven’t taken my effexor so I don’t think it’s sleep apnea. My MD also said you don’t usually wake up if you have sleep apnea.
Tagged with: brain shivers • dizziness • effexor • heart • medication • mental health • panic attacks • psychiatrist • sleep • sleep apnea
Filed under: Sleep Apnea Symptoms
Check out this site. People that take medications, rate the medication and list the side effects they have experienced.
http://www.askapatient.com
Where it says search, type in Effexor.
I had a friend who was prescribed it, she told me she had all the same reactions as you mentioned and once we read up on the drug we realized that it has pretty bad withdrawl symptoms. talk to your doctor if you are unhappy with the way the drug makes you feel, i’m sure there is something else you can take
I toook Effexor for a couple months but didnt like the way it made me feel. I felt high. My doctor switched me to Celexa which made a world of diffrence. He slowly weened me off the effexor by having me take 1/2 a tab everyday for 2 weeks that way I wouldnt have withdrawls. Maybe you need to switch medications if you truly think its the effexor. There are medications out there just as good as a effexor with less side effects
Have you been screened for sleep apnea? It might not be the Effexor.