#withdrawawl
Hey. If you are currently taking or considering taking medication for depression/anxiety/other mental health things, first of all: I’m with you. I feel for you and I wish you the best success at getting better and feeling like yourself again.
We’ve seen flashes of what it looks like to detox from Heroin on TV. But they never show detox from CymbaltaorEffexor. And those guys have a nasty detox too.
Disclaimer 1: This post is notanti-medication. It’s not meant to scare you out of taking them. If they help you - take them! It’s just here to help answer questions you might have, such as “Are my new tremors related to the medication I’m taking?” or “Why have I been dizzy for three weeks?”
There is no shame in taking medication for your mental health.
Disclaimer 2:I am not a doctor. Always always always consult your medical professionals. This is only meant to add some knowledge to your vocabulary of things to ask that your doctor might not mention.
I’m giving examples from Effexor because that’s what I know, but the general principles in this post apply to any psychiatric drug.
Below is an incomplete list of withdrawal symptoms from coming off of VenlafaxineakaEffexorakaViepax (the check marks are ones I have experienced):
- brain shivers
- agitation✅
- anxiety✅
- confusion
- mania
- mood swings
- anorexia
- impaired coordination✅
- dizziness✅
- fatigue✅
- lethargy✅
- headaches✅
- night tremors
- tremor✅
- sensory disturbances✅
- electric shock-like sensations
- vomiting
- vertigo✅
- sweating
- diarrhea
- dry mouth✅
… the list goes on. Anything could be a side effect. Nightmares. Loss of appetite. Muscle aches. Sleep disruption. A completely whacked sleep schedule.
I’m posting this because people should know.
First of all,
NEVER STOP TAKING A MEDICATION WITHOUT CONSULTING A DOCTOR.
Second of all, even if you are on a regular dose of Venlafaxine, you might still have some withdrawal symptoms.
Third of all, if you suddenly start having these symptoms, you deserve to know that it could be caused by your medication.
Now, you might be wondering why anyone would ever take this drug if there are so many side effects and such horrible withdrawal? And that’s a fair question. And the answer is that sometimes it’s worth it. Venlafaxine does help with anxiety and depression and their side effects, such as brain fog. It can restore someone to functionality enough that they are not incapacitated by their mental illness. Sometimes it’sworth the side effects if it means you can have a job, take care of yourself and your loved ones, enjoy a drink with friends, feel emotions, drive, etc.
There is no shame in taking medication for your mental health.
There is no shame in taking medication for your mental health.
There is no shame in taking medication for your mental health.
And sometimes it’ll work for a little while and then stop. And if you go to the doctor with just your symptoms, they’ll take a thousand and one tests and conclude that nothing is wrong with you. And you’ll be caught in a loop of asking yourself, What is wrong with me? Is this my life? Am I just…like this now? And that can be terrifying in itself.
So spread the word. Make sure people who are taking or considering taking this drug know what symptoms might be connected to it. It could save a lot of time wondering why we suddenly have extra headaches or get random shivers when it’s not cold outside.
Knowledge is power. Advocate for yourself. Make your psychiatric prescriber inform you of the possible side effects and symptoms you might experience from the medication they just gave you. If you are a highly sensitive person like me, let your doctors know that.
I am going through withdrawal right now. If you are too, I feel for you. If you are screaming into the void of a medical system wondering why you have a zillion symptoms and perfect test results, my heart is with you. You are not alone in this.
Have hope.
You can feel better.
<3
