Question:
Effexor Withdrawl, Why did my doc tell me to just quit effexor??

My doctor told me to stop all meds when i left the hospital.. now i am wondering if this is why i am always feeling terrible.. i am 6 weeks post op..and have no energy and always have a feeling of not feeling well.. i am crabby alot too..could it be from this??    — Debbie S. (posted on May 28, 2001)

May 28, 2001
Are you sure he wanted you to stop all meds forever after your surgery. Or just for a brief period of time? you need to check back with the doctor to clarify this.
   — Rose A.

May 28, 2001
I stopped taking my effexor the day of surgery and have not started again-I'm 4 weeks post op. My doctor and I just thought I could give it a try. So far, so good. I am somewhat irritable but I think that it normal after having a major surgery. I have 4 kids and their "noise" gets on my nerves faster than it used to. But I am feeling better each day and I think as I feel better physically, my irritability will decrease. But, each person is different and your effexor may help to balance your brain chemicals to help even out your mood. My advice, talk to your doctor.
   — Brenda H.

May 28, 2001
Who prescribed the Effexor in the first place? Was it your family doctor or a psychiatrist? In that case, your surgeon needs to talk with this doctor about why you were taking Effexor. I was on the timed-release version of Effexor, but stopped taking that after my surgery, because of the mal-absorbtion problems. I substituted another anti-depressant for it. It's important to realize that just because you've had this surgery it doesn't mean your depression will disappear. Good luck!!
   — Kristy J.

May 28, 2001
I was also on the time-released Effexor (150 mgs). It wasn't being absorbed, so my psyc put me on the fast acting Effexor tablets. 75 mg in the morning and 75 mgs at night. He said this med should be gradually stopped, not just stop...BAM. He said I'd get a case of the crankies and feel depressed & it would be caused from stopping all of a sudden. Also, he said the fast acting kind is very unforgiving if you skip a dose (hmmm, maybe it's not my boss after all...I've been accidentally skipping night time doses)HA!.
   — Betty Todd

May 31, 2001
Oh No! I'm a psychotherapist and work closely w/psychiatrists and MDs about psych meds. Please, please talk to whatever doctor prescribed the Effexor and tell him/her about your surgury. This is not a medication that should be stopped abruptly and there are many, many other good, effective non-time-released antidepressants that would probably work for you. Your surgeon should have enough knowledge about medications to have known better than to suggest you completely stop taking Effexor without considering a long-term alternative to help you, especially since depression is a high-risk after-effect of having major surgury! Please self-advocate and get the medication you need and keep heart, you'll work your way through it!
   — Marigold G.