Currently I am going off my Effexor because I am almost out.
Next week it is going to run out completely and I am very afraid because I have heard this is a horrible one to go off of.
I quit Effexor cold turkey, it was not pleasant. But I made it through.
I am of course not suggesting you should do this, but if nothing else works and you have to as the very last resort, this what I did.
I took time off work to be away from stress. I kept a list of emergency numbers and coping exercises on me at all times.
I kept everyone around me informed on how I was feeling.
I basically set up a massive safety net around me.
The physical symptoms were unpleasant, not the worst I've experienced but definitely not mild.
The brain zaps were the worst thing physically. They began lessening in intensity after about 5 days from stopping the med. The random vertigo eased a few days after that.
The psychological symptoms were the thing I had the hardest time with.
I found that my mood was very heavily influenced by the things around me. From real people to television shows. Anything negative, sent me on a rapid downward spiral. Positive things made me feel way better.
What I found worked best for me, was keeping myself occupied with happy pleasant things. I know it sounds ridiculous but this was what got me through it without doing something stupid.
With how I felt during the experience, I doubt it would have taken much for this to have ended very badly for me.
I know that everyone reacts very differently when it comes to these types of medication. So this may not be helpful at all.
I really hope you are able to find a workaround.
Do whatever you have to do to keep yourself safe.
