Update: A Hospital Visit And Getting Off Meds

[Starburned]

I haven't been on much due to life stuff, but I just wanted to give an update.

Last month I tried to get off Effexor again. Made it 5 hellish days before I gave up. I'm trying to get my doctor to get me on a tapering plan, but he's been very unhelpful. I'm very frustrated that I'm 17, never abused drugs, and yet an addicted to the prescribed amount of a prescribed drug that I was never warned of the downsides of. But trying not to focus on that and holding out hope. Currently getting off Atacand and have had no problems with that, fingers crossed.

The day after Christmas, I went to the clinic with intense pain on my right side. They sent me to the ER fearing appendicitis. After a combined 8 hours of waiting, a CT, blood work, and IV pain and nausea meds, I was sent home with the diagnosis of a ruptured ovarian cyst. I'm finally starting to be rid of that pain just within the past couple days. The experience for me was like having food poisoning, a UTI, the worst cramps of my life, and being punched in the stomach every so often just for kicks. Regardless to say, it wasn't fun.

[FarmerAmy]

I am sorry that your doctor is so unhelpful with the Effexor tapering :-( I have gone off both Effexor and Cymbalta at different times and it is not easy. You should absolutely be able to taper. My doctor had me take the smallest dose, then one every other day, etc. At the end my doctor even had me breaking open capsules and just taking a few little beads to deal with the withdrawal.

Also, I've never done this, but my psychiatrist has said that you can switch to Prozac while tapering since it has a longer half-life and doesn't have bad withdrawal issues.

I'm guessing you are dealing with just a family practice doctor and not a psychiatrist. I don't think any psychiatrist would put you through this. I don't know exactly what to tell you, but you should absolutely not have to deal with such withdrawal. There is no good reason to do it.

Good luck!

Amy