Effexor XR help

[stonephillips]

my girlfriend about a year ago was up on a ladder, which broke and gave her a bunch of crap. The neuro-docs put her on effexor for about a year, and she was weened off of it for about 4 weeks. Today she has been off of it for 2 weeks and is still suffering majorly from "enormous constant" headaches, vision problems, nausia, insomnia, withdrawal...and did i mention the enormous constant headaches??...can yall help me out..how long will this last...what can i do to help her out...please help me!!!

[Theresa Jones, RN]

Hi stonephillips,
First of all, if she hasn't notified her physician she should. Sometimes people have symptoms while tapering Effexor. There is a medication ondansetron which is commonly used in symptom treatment of nausea/vomiting etc. in cancer patients whom are receiving radiation or chemotherapy and has been proven effective in relieving symptoms that emerge during discontinuation of Effexor. Again I would suggest she notify her physician.
Sincerely,
Rntdj

[stonephillips]

I have talked with my doctor about these symptoms. Both my regular doctor and my neurologist say that there are no possible side effects to taking Effexor or getting off of it. They tell me I am simply imagining all this. I am taking phenergen to help with the nausea and it sometimes calms my anxiety that I seem to have developed after tapering off. The one thing I have not been able to find anything to help with is the way my brain feels. Its like its shaking when I look around. It is driving me absolutly insane and makes me feel generally like crap. I wish someone had a solution to end that part of this mess.

[Theresa Jones, RN]

Hi stonephillips,
It is most certainly not your imagination! There is documented evidence of nausea, "brain shivers, shocks" etc. This does pass with time, apparently from what I understand especially with the "brain shivers" they seem to progress quite significantly and then begin subsiding. Be encouranged, it should pass.
Sincerely,
Rntdj