Brain Shivers - Effexor XR 'Venlafaxine' Side Affects

"My brain's not cold you idiot!"

For all those poor souls, like myself, who have or continue to experience the 'horrible' side affect of Effexor XR 'Venlafaxine'  made by Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories, just so you don't feel so alone in your torment, here is a collection of quotes, stories and experiences that I have plucked from depths of the net.

If you have your own experience you want to share or know of some lurking places, then please do let me know. I'll add to archive. I will eventually create one 'big' list/post that is a archive of all the posts published.

Here's a Electronic Petition against Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories to make your voice hear. Not sure how recent it is, but worth adding to anyway.

SOURCE: Midesternmomma

OK This is just plain crazzzy now!  I am so sick it is not even funny! I am going through the fun times of effexor withdrawal and I have never felt so disgusting in my life. 

I don't know why I ever started taking that crap!  SORRY everyone..i need to vent.  My life right now is less then happy or joyous, and definately not fulfilling by any means.  I have a very sick husband, I am sick to death with phobias and panic attacks and all other kinds of goodies.  Lately though I have come to the realization that I have not been going about taking care of these issues in the correct manner.  I have been seeing a therapist, which has helped somewhat, but it is not enough.  Those of you who know me out there, know that I have had SEVERE phobias of certain kinds ALL my life.  Well, they are still a problem and going strong right now.  None of those pills the docs gave helped those feelings.  ACTUALLY, if you wanna know the truth, they made me feel NOTHING.  I couldn't enjoy life.  I didn't feel panicky, but life felt so pointless, all the creativity I have inside of me has been sucked away by that crappy antidepressent.  Even though I feel like crap right now, at least I can say that I am TRULY experiencing that feeling.  My brain feels like it is being electrocuted, I'm nauseous, dizzy, shaky, have chills, insomnia,my stomach feels hungry but i'm darn afraid to eat!  I have to admit though, that I just broke down and took a small dose of effexor-i gotta get some sleep some time soon..  I do have some positive news..I have been in touch with a hypnotherapist in the last few days, and have done some research on hypnotherapy and how it can sometimes get rid of the majority of your phobias effect on you and your life.  Wish me luck guys, my first session is on monday and it will be a past life regression.  I have to try something.  I don't like drugs and I find that I am the one having to hold this household together.  I am going to be testing for the GED soon, and I am a nervous wreck about that.  I am almost sure I won't pass.  BUT I am going to keep trying til I get it.  I feel such a calling inside of me that I am to do MORE with myself.  Even though sometimes it is hard to believe, I KNOW that I am meant for more then what I am doing right now.  There is nothing wrong with being a wife and mother and keeping house.  But there is something wrong with ignoring that voice inside of you, in the pit ofyour stomach, that won't shut up!  Holistic medicine.  that is my dream career.  How I so much want to do that.  I am so frustrated with my life right now.  I am sad, I want to go back to California.  I love my family, but something just feels so wrong. 

SOURCE: Nikki's Vox

Today was not fun. I wasn't sure if I should post this since it was pretty personal but I figured hey maybe it might help someone so why not.

I used to take Effexor XR for depression. Last month I decided to come off of it to switch to another one since I didn't feel like it was working anymore. This has been the worst month ever. I have felt so sick all month. The last three days have been the worst, with today being the penultimate because they were the first days with no Effexor in my body at all. Apparently in some people Effexor causes really bad withdrawal symptoms and lucky me, I happen to be one of those. Not only has it messed with my mood making me practically bipolar (even though I'm not), it has increased my ADD, I have been incredibly irritable, and not to mention the physical side effects: nausea, extreme fatigue, headaches, brain shivers, and not being able to think clearly: I practically sound like I am blazed. I was not able to be comprehended all day. I made no sense when I was talking to people. I couldn't stay awake, I kept falling asleep without wanting to. This is really scary. I decided to skip school altogether because it was really scary. I don't like that this medicine is doing this to my body. The brain shivers are even scarier. If I straighten my head to fast or look up too quickly I get this out of body experience where it feels like I'm being electrocuted. It feels like my brain bounces back and forth. And for those few seconds I am unreachable.  Here's another person's description of this really scary experience.

Here's some more info on withdrawal from Effexor.
Now of course not everyone will have the same response to stopping this medicine but I did. It is really scary. You feel like something is wrong with your brain. You feel like something is going to be permanently wrong with you and you will be taking medicine forever. Now I don't mind so much dealing with these horrible symptoms because being depressed is way worse than this. I am willing to suffer in order to feel better mentally. Yet it sucks that these symptoms get in the way of my life.

If you can, please click on this text and sign this petition
the petition is trying to get Effexor's manufacturer Wyeth-Amherst to acknowledge that there are severe withdrawal symptoms and to stop misleadingly advertising the medication. Currently they do not say there are any side effects while millions of people who have taken the medicine complain of severe withdrawal symptoms. This drug company should not be able to sell a medication without telling people about these side effects!

Comments

[Marissa Miller]

"The brain shivers are even scarier. If I straighten my head to fast or look up too quickly I get this out of body experience where it feels like I'm being electrocuted. It feels like my brain bounces back and forth. And for those few seconds I am unreachable."

I can totally relate.

[Sandy]

Been on Effexor since 1995...a year ago was diagnosed with Bipolar II and put on bipolar meds....and weaned off the Effexor and placed on Celexa and Depacote, Seroquel. Due to zombie like conditons, I went back to the Effexor....

Brain shivers now occur after taking my dose...not when I miss a dose. Anyone else in this conundrum???

[jang65]

I have been off Zoloft for 2 weeks now and am pleased to find there is a name for the symptoms. I am also having visual disturbances in one eye. The withdrawal symptoms initially appeared at the end of the day, but now come and go all day. I read that this drug class can cause a norepinephrine downregulation phenomenon and really hope these symptoms go away.

[jewelbabe]

Thanks a bunch guys, you are saving my cousin from a lot of unnessacary pain and the family is going to be soo very greatful. You guys really are survivors. Anybody with an opinion on giving this to a 13 year old, please respond. You could be saving a life!

[Pamela]

I have been taking Celexa for 9 and a half years, and this past year it has stopped working. I was at 40 mg all that time, but I started getting incredibble dizzy spells, nausea, and brain shivers every days, as if I was in withdrawal. I can't stop these meds because of very severe anxiety disorder that turns into depression. I'll be taking meds for the rest of my life. I seeked psychiatric help last spring and got Wellbutrin(150mg) added on top of the Celexa (now 50mg)and the symptoms stoped alltogether. From the complete feelingless state I was in on Celxa, I suddenly regained a bit of libido. At 31, after complete disapearance of it, it is much welcomed! However, the brain shivers having dissapeared, it has been replaced by an increase in the body shivers when I am falling asleep. It feels like I'm getting goosebumps on the left side of my body, but I'm not.. Everything isn't perfect taking these meds, and we are all lab rats experimenting, but I urge anyone not to stop taking their meds alltogether without being followed by your physicain!!! You don't need to die.

[Christen]

My doctor and I agreed to wean me off Effexor, my last dose was Thursday. By Friday, I had started to have brain shivers, and now 3 days later I am plagued by them. Before I found information on it online, I described it to my husband like "my brain being filled with shattered glass. Every motion is sharp and distorted, like my nerves are exposed and sparking every time I move."

The sad part is I was on the 75mg dose, and only for 6 months. Misery must really love company, because I feel much better about having to experience this knowing there are others out there who had to go through the same thing.

[jenny]

Hi, I was on 150mg for nearly 3yrs of Effexlor. 3 weeks ago I cut down to 37.5mg. Two days of very bad brain freeze, tummy aches,fuzzy head an feeling 'óut of it'. I became tired of requiring to take the drug same time every day or the withdrawal systoms started immediatley 2 hours latter. This is day two of stopping all together. My head space is great.Physically crap though!This drug is addictive, you do feel less aniexty to a point where you dont experience normal stresses.Im keeping postive head wise, you have ta just get tough an go thru it.I'd like to know how long I should expect the phyiscal withdrawals for.Days, weeks? This drug is life robbing evil, you may as well be doing hite china!

[jenny]

P.s I notice that my fine motor skills are reduced in my fingers. Numbness an coldness- circulation in my hands an feet. I've hurt my hand nearly ever day from when I reduced my dose. Accidently cut fingers when cooking,bruised, an even burnt them on the fireplace. My typing is way off too..along with thinking clearly!

[SHAMEEAH MADARANG]

i could understand what you'r going through i'm 19 and they diaganosed me as a major depressed person . I will tell you i wasn't okay before i started taking the medication. I HAD EXTREMELY BAD ANXIETY. BUT WHEN I GOT PLACED ON CELEXA IT MESSED UP EVERYTHING. I FELT LETHEGIC NUMB ALL OVER AND TIRED ALL THE TIME. I WOULD EXPERIENCE THE SAME SCARY WEIRD STUFF EVERY TIME I WAKE UP. I FELT LIKE A STIFF NUMB ZOMBIE WITH A BUZZING BRAIN AND AN UN PUZZLING BODY. IT WAS HORRIBLE LIKE AN OUT OF BODY EXPERIENCE

PS: CAN SOMEBODY RELATE TO ME IF SO EMAIL ME SO I COULD GET SOME FEED BACK THANK YOU ^_^

[brrr]

I'm taking 10mg of escilatopram every day for anxiety, and my first experience with these brain shivers was when my house was robbed while I was sleeping, and they took all my remaining medication (along with a bunch of other stuff). I (wrongly) assumed that it would be okay waiting a day to buy another box, but after going about halfway through the first day with no medication, I started getting these really wierd sensations localized in my brain, and nowhere else. It felt like, for a split second my mind was turned inside out. It happened whenever I turned my head or exhaled sharply and always when I least expected it. It wasn't painful or unpleasant but it was very unnerving, as I didn't know what was happening, and at first I thought I was having a stroke or something horrible was happening in my brain, but near the end of the day the penny dropped that it was my medication giving me withdrawal symptoms, and sure enough, as soon as I started taking them again, all was well. I suffer no side effects while I regularly take the drug, and it has improved my quality of life considerably, but the withdrawal is a very weird experience...

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