Effexor withdrawls... who is responsible for informing the patient?

For years, I had Fatigue, after an MRI, I was diagnosed with MS - abnormal fatigue being a major item in MS. Schedule an appointment with a GOOD neurologist (there are a lot of not-good ones out there). Fatigue all the time?....could well be MS.

Thats terrible. I am in England and thankfully we have the National Health Service so don't have to worry about medical insurance. I have been on Effexor for nine years and really can't function without it so I can't imagine having it suddenly withdrawn. I was told that it had to be withdrawn from gradually but I had never really thought about finding out what the withdrawal effects would be so whenever I have not had any for a few days through forgetting to take it somewhere or not getting round to going to the doctors I have had the symptoms you describe but thought it was the depression resurfacing as I had awful nightmares and the feeling you are going crazy with that. I did attribute the dizziness to withdrawal though and also get very nauseous and a really upset stomach when I am withdrawing. I think it is appalling that in a supposedly civilised society these people can just take away a persons medication like that. I am fuming on your behalf. I would make a complaint to everyone you can think of to draw attention to the inadequacies of such a system. What are brain zaps by the way?

That explins why I feel so fatiged. I was on efforxr but I just switched to lexapro.I just switched least week I already have chroic fatige from having ms. So this really explains why I have been so tired latley

Unfortunately, Angel, there was a warning on the gobs of information that was stapled to the bag when you picked up your Rx. Of course you would have had to have had a magnifying glass and the time and patience to read through all of the things that only pharmacists and doctors understand to get to it. To answer your question there are several safeguards in place to make sure this situation does not happen (these safeguards are controlled by the government - so you can get some idea of how safe the safeguards are) -When ordering a new medication for you, it is the responsibility of the doctor to know exactly what kind of medications you are on already (it is YOUR responsibility to provide her/him with an accurate list - including vitamins and herbal supplements -Once the doctor starts you on a medication such as this you should be informed of all of the possible side effects at the time of him/her prescribing it and have the opportunity to ask questions (safeguard number 1) -When you go to the pharmacy to pick up your medication you should be given the opportunity to ask any questions at all about your medications (safeguard #2). However, most people working in the pharmacy will automatically hand you the pen, point to the box where you check that you did not request information, and then simply hand you your medication. -(Safeguard #3) is the one that I wrote above about the papers that are stapled to your bag - too hard for someone to actually find the information. -You should then be scheduled for an appointment no less than one month away (some doctors may want to see you in as little as 1-2 weeks from starting some new medications), again you are given the chance to discuss any changes this medication is having on you/your body (safeguard #4). As soon as you found out you were going to have to change insurance plans, at that time, it became your responsibility to notifiy your physician's office. (Next time you will know this information). When you call your first ask for the billing department and make your changes there -then you request to be connected to your physician's nurse or your case worker. Explain to them that your policy has changed and it may not cover all of your medications, tell them the medications you are on, how many days supply you have on hand, ask if any of your medications that are not covered need a slow withdrawal plan and if so do they have samples they can give you to cover the amount of time needed to start a replacement medication - if not, can they contact the new insurer and request an emergency coverage for this medication for a specified amount of time. I know that I've given you a lot of information to digest in just one post, but I do hope it will be of some help to you ~Donna

That's one of those situations where it really pays to research what you are taking. I think it's really irresponsable of doctors (and insurance companies) to change or stop medication suddenly without regard to the side-effects. When I was on Paxil I questioned my doctor about the side-effects. Otherwise he never would have told me.

Insurance Companies are just evil vile people. I have often said they are indeed the Evil Empires of today. The Insurance Companies do have WAYYYYYYYYY to much control over our health and well being as you have seen and lived with and even regarding important medicines...Lived without. This Country needs to just nationalize our health care and to the People who will scream about it (mostly republicans) they can all just shut the hell up and realize the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the 1% at the top.

I started taking effexor almost a year ago and if I take it even an hour later than the day before I start to experience the side effects you are talking about. One day I forgot to take them and I started to feel dizzy but I thought I was getting the flu so didn't think much about it. Well tyhe next day my husband and I went for a walk and on the way back I started having trouble focusing and was getting really dizzy. When we got home he went to mow the lawn and I stayed in with the kids. My baby started crying and I was too dizzy to walk and I sat down and cried because I couldn't get her. I had to crawl to the back door to get my husband to come in, and I curled up in a ball and cried for about two hours. Nothing he said could help me. Before that happened he wanted me to come off the medication and that day he looked at me and said take your pills and he has been after me everyday since then. That was only from not taking them for 2 days so I don't want to imagine what you went through for 2 months.

In my opinion both the doctor and the pharmacist should have said something to you. Especially when it is reported by so many people that the side effects are so strong. It's not right that insurances have such a control over this or that the price of medications is so high to start with. I think it is kind of ridiculous.

Nobody told me either, and I'd get very sick every time I missed a dose. It took me months to figure it out. I was pretty upset. I started taking it in the mental hospital so someone should have mentioned it.