One thing I hate about migraine disease...

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Fri, September 12, 2008

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I hate that migraine disease makes me dependent on medications. Before someone mentions this, please know that I have tried a more natural approach to migraine care. For many years I tried it. Supplements, chiropractic care, detoxification, acupuncture. Tried them. A few times.

So back to the subject at hand. Right now, with my current chronic, severe migraine disease, I am completely dependent upon medication. So many medications. A nightstand drawer full of medications and supplements. All of which I am currently using. And sometimes I really hate each and every medication. Today is one of those days.

These meds always bring some sort of side effects. I've had depression, anxiety, rash, dizziness, fainting, nausea, nonexistent libido, sleepiness, insomnia, weight gain, weight loss, inability to think, heart palpitations, numbness in my extremities, blood pressure increase, blood pressure decrease--all of these side effects and many, MANY more have come from my preventive and abortive migraine meds.

So why my current hostility toward my medications?!? I'm currently having the toughest time I've EVER had with a med!!! I'm trying to discontinue my Effexor XR. This medicine is an anti-depressant that I've been using for over 4 years for migraine prevention. Unfortunately, in all of that time, the Effexor never really did a thing to improve my migraine pattern. I need to get rid of it.

Staying on the Effexor was really not a problem for me. But going off of it is like living through a nightmare!!! I am not exaggerating, folks. This is absolute misery.

My current treatment plan requires that I get off of the Effexor as quickly as possible--long story, maybe for another time! Under my doctor's supervision, I stopped the Effexor earlier this week without tapering. Instead, I'm substituting a med called Pristiq--a sister med to Effexor. The Pristiq is supposed to prevent withdrawal symptoms that occur when a patient abruptly stops taking Effexor.

Unfortunately, I'm having really, really terrible withdrawal anyway! I'm nauseated, I've got stomach cramps and diarrhea. For four days, I did nothing but throw up!! I've also been experiencing what some people call "Effexor brain zaps." For me, this is a sensation that an electrical shock is running from my head, through my body, down to my feet. I feel this EVERY TIME I move my head around!! I also have a weird rumbly feeling in my skull, like my brain is rolling around in there!!! And I've been fighing migraine and terrible aura.

Despite my efforts to work through this without causing trouble for others, I'm sure I've been crabby and short with everyone.

I asked my doc how long this rotten stuff will last. His reply was "We really don't know! Some people feel fine after just a few days. Others feel strange for months!!!"

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Kelly, FlywithHope

9/13/08 12:06pm

Oh Jenny. Lots of hugs adn love to you, my dear. What a horrible horrible thing you are going through. I cannot even imagine throwing up for days on end while felling as you described. And dealing with the Effexor withdrawl sounds really awful. You are a warrior, girl.

But, I know that even warriors get tired of unending crap-ola.

I have been having a rough time with meds too, not like you, but just getting through the day is hard with meds and my body freaking out and imagining that this stuff I'm going through may not be ending soon is unbearable. So, in a small way, I can sympathize what you are dealing with.

I wear a bracelet that is a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson that says "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." I cannot remember if you are a christian or not, but the way I hear this quote is because I have God's Spirit inside me, nothing I have gone through or will have to go through can match up. I may not be able to do it, but He will be able to. And even if you aren't a christian, this bracelet reminds me to try to stay in today and not get caught up in the future or how I am going to handle it. Your task is to just live through today and take care of you.

I'm sending prayers up on your behalf that you have strength and endurance. My heart goes out to you, hon.

Love, Kelly

roxanne

4/ 7/09 11:02am

hi jenny,

how are you doing now?

i'm trying to stop effexor and am having a horrible time of it. i've quit smoking, quit drinking, quit sugar, and nothing compares to this. i count out granules and am stuck around 145 (appx 50mg). at first i thought that was low enough to stop altogether... after 3 days my body suddenly got ice cold with shivers, then drenched with sweat, brain became disorganized, and felt like my chest was slowly compressing front to back. i thought i was having a heart attack! i remembered the effexor and took about 75mg just to try it before going to the hospital. after 5 or 10 minutes i felt much better and craved sugar which i ate. then all was fine. im taking the 50mg daily still but even on this dose i get a lot of fibromyalgia and menopause symptoms in addition to the brain shivers and zaps. suggestions?

roxanne

Anonymous

6/16/09 8:52pm

OH my gosh...any doctor would tell you to get off effexor very slowly!! it takes about a month to get used to the withdrawals...so go slow.....

you can end up in the hospital with side effects that turn very bad--my best friend did..she thought she could just stop taking it..wrong--she passed out but I knew what it was fromso I told them..they gave it to her in about 30 minutes..she was awake and talking again..whew..

we as humans try to prescribe for ourself--typical human thing..for all of us..((:>))

all medications have side effects but if the medicine works...take it---

I get so tired of all the commercials like Yaz, Viagara----blah blah..

telling everybody all the bad things on tv..like people are going to remember what they say.

I have been on it for 6 years now and I have tried to change and could not....

GOOD LUCK!!! TAKE CARE!!

Karaly

2/18/10 8:43am

There are a lot of scary postings regarding Effexor withdrawl. I personally just withdrew from it. I have not experienced a migraine yet or many of the scary possible effects. I got rather dizzy, but that was about it. My suggestions are...

1) Truly be mentally healthy. If you are still struggling with depression, anxiety, any 'mental hardships'...you probably shouldn't withdrawl unless your doctor is recommending it and/or is wanting to switch you to something else.

2) Be physically healthy. It can be tough on your body, so if you are sick, have health issues, etc. I would personally hold off. One thing that really helps is exercise, so if you are not up for it, think twice.

3) Be ready to push yourself...load up on research and knowledge on how to naturally deal with any depressive feelings. Tell people close to you and make sure you have a support system because withdrawl can be dangerous for some. Don't do this alone, at the very least involve your doctor and someone who truly cares for you.

4) Do it on a weekend! I missed a day of work because I was just too dizzy, and I have a job where I could hurt myself.

Take care of yourself...know the facts and properly prepare, but never let fear stop your instincts! God bless.

Anonymous

5/24/10 1:30pm

Yes, I agree. I was on effexor xr for about 9 months. I was fine when I was on it. I felt very emotionally even, but if I forgot to take a dose during the day, oh my! The symptoms were awful. The dizziness and headache were the worst.

I continued taking it until I could get in to see my doctor and she downplayed it like it was all in my head. She even suggested could it be something else that your not aware of. It was almost as though there was a denial to it, and that's very frustrating to have a doctor that doesn't care about the reality of drug side effects.

I tried a couple of times to ween myself off of it, but the headaches and dizziness were that bad, I went back onto it. I finally said to myself, "man you are addicted to this stuff and you need get off of it".

So believe it or not, I scheduled 3 days off work to get myself off of Effexor XR. I laid on my couch with the room spinning around me waiting for my brain to stop craving it. I also had these sudden jolts in my head. If you've taken Effexor, you know what I mean. After 3 days, it worked. Most of the symptoms were small enough that I could cope with them. After about 2 weeks, I was free of it.

I will never touch another anti-depressant / anti-anxiety medication again. I would rather attempt controlling my bouts with depression intellectually the best I can than be addicted to pharmacudical drugs.

-Pete

Ivory

6/ 3/10 10:00am

I'm at the same stage or rather not. I've been off of WEllbutrin for 12 weeks and thought I was doing fine, but then I ended up with a Panic Attack and now I'm feeling anxiety I didn't have and went through a spastic intestine that was very painful. I overcame the attack, but went on Xanax to curb the anxiety and fear of this spastic intestine and now I call the "jitters".

I've been irritable, chills, unable to concentrate too much. I feel better when I'm able to take walks or be active.

I've argued with my husband and I've been seeing a psychologist that is working with me and my family on helping to dejunk or let go of some of my stuff that to me wasn't a problem. It is the family's problem, although they are all pack rats. We all are going through some changes. My youngest is 19 and is experiencing a broken heart after just having a first girlfriend. So I have to deal with his coping mechanisms and beginning a new social life after living his life

focusing on his computers and GEEK world. He is bright with all that tech stuff and went to a technical high school.

Now he is majoring in I.T. stuff in college.

Actually all of my family is not fairing their best due to my one son committing suicide when he was 15 1/2 7 years ago. His birthday is this week.

Anyway, how do I get rid of these jitters and irritability. Do I go back on Wellbutrin. I already got some Zoloft, but decided I don't want to go through the withdrawals of that drug. Plus on that drug there are sexual side effects.

But Wellbutrin I get dry mouth and sexual side effects aren't as bad but they are still there.

I've been on Effexor after my son's death, but didn't have a problem going off because I just switched to higher dosage of Well butrin and added Cymbalta. I'm off of Cymbalta as of a year ago.

Anyway, here I am, concerned about having another panic attack, although the painful intestinal attack came after I had taken SOMA the day before.

Ivory

hmariewv

10/14/10 12:35am

I went off Effexor XL by tapering off over three months. Then I started having panic attacks that I never ever had before ! It is so scarely ! I have been in hell for the past 5 months! The only thing that helped was taking a little bit of Effexor each day. I have had the worst depression in my life , crying, feeling like everything was my fault, suddenly seeing my life differently and feeling different about things that I use to like. I wonder if some of the things I have done was because of being on the Effexor , like I was numb to life. I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who got panic attacks. They have let up some since taking a little Effexor each day. I made the mistake of taking a 150 pill at first after being off of them. I was sick for two days! Throwing up all night and day, makes you wonder what is in these these pills!

Rose

6/27/10 8:59am

I was wondering if anyone has experienced shortness of breath due to effexor withdrawal? I should have tapered off more gradual than I did, but now I have dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath since I reduced the medication. Due to my Dr.'s advice.

Petrified B4 Pregger

1/24/11 1:39pm

I've been taking Effexor (well, the generic) for just over a year now. I have extreme axiety and panic attacks. When I first started taking it, I realized that I would get very nauseous and yawn. It almost felt like I had a ball in the back of my throat. I am a performer and I spend many evenings out of the house especially weekends. I regularly take my medication by 11. I would notice I would get these brain shivers after being 1 hour late. These are the most uncomfortable sensations ever. It's kind of a slow motion, quick spasm feeling. The best way to describe it is the sudden, quick burst of adrenaline after being startled out of a dream where you're falling or when you lose your balance after a few drinks. It's a very uncontrollable feeling that hits you every time you move your eyes or head to the side. Another symptom I'll have after I actually forget to take the medication is extreme nausea and then uncontrollable crying and panic. I know I need to get off of this before my husband and I decide to try for a baby but I am PETRIFIED of the consequences.

One thing I hate about migraine disease...

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