Is this right?

[butterflylover]

Hey everyone! I hope all is well. I just wanted opinions on a something. I've been on Effexor Xr 75mgs for about 5 months give/take. I quit cold turkey about 3-4 days ago. I have the usual 'Brain zaps' and I jst feel weird. I HATE those! I don't want to be on an anti-depressant anymore. They never help.

Anyhoo, I've been on Klonopin for the same amount of time and my doctor stopped that cold turkey! He said "here, take this Abilify"! First off, I had a seizure in June and I know that you can have one when you stop Benzos cold turkey. And second, I'm not taking Abilify. Is there something that I can do or call someone about this? It seems really un-ethical and not such a good idea. My doctor is STUPID! Needless to say...I got my medical records and I'm now looking for a new doctor. Ang I don't have health insurance Any advice appreciated.

Thanks,
~B

[butterflylover]

Oh, not to mention the Effexor made me gain 15lbs! Grrrrr!!!!!!!!!

[QU31]

Hi,

I'm not a doctor, but everything I've read about benzos says you shouldn't quit cold turkey. I tried that a few months ago, and I don't know what happened, but it wasn't good! I couldn't drive my car home from work I was so out of it! I had to taper them down over a period of about a month and it worked just fine. I would definitely seek out a new doctor. Good luck!

[anvilhead]

well - one shouldn't suddenly discontinue Effexor either.....which if i understand you decided to do on your own???? did you tell your Doctor that??? anyway, good luck finding a doctor that you can work with..........before jumping ship why not talk to your current physician about these abrupt changes in medication..........maybe if you guys work out a clearly defined goal plan - ie. to be off all meds by <<fill in the blank>> you can continue to work together????

[PaperDolls]

I'm not a fan of Effexor myself......although it did help my depression I continued to build a tolerance to it and needed more and more as time went on. I had a hard time weaning off but I made it.

I'm on welbutrin now and it works. I also take Klonopin. I don't take that on a daily basis though, I think I'm lucky I don't have to.

Couple of questions for you....
Are you seeing a family doctor or general physician?
Have you ever seen a psychiatrist for medication management?
Have you been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder?
Why will you not take Abilify?

I started out being treated for my depression at my family doctor........once I went through about 2 or 3 different anti-depressant meds they referred me to a pdoc. Once I found the right one, which took some time, my meds are working. A psychiatrist has more training/knowledge in dealing with mental disorder and meds to help. It certainly made a difference for me.

Sounds to me like you're taking the right steps, looking for a new doctor......be careful with stopping that stuff cold turkey. It's not fun or good for your health.

Unfortunately, all this mental health stuff takes time. It hard to be patient, I know. I was so irritated that I couldn't just be fixed. It took me close to 2 years to find the right meds for me. Try to remind yourself to be patient. Eventually, a good doctor will help you find the right meds.

Good luck!

[butterflylover]

Thanks for the replies! I'll write more...don't have time right now. Happy Holidays!!!