Withdrawal symptoms on this medicine are shocking. Its what I think of as what an addiction must be like. I guess it is in some ways but I know its the body trying to re-adjust to a massive neurochemical change. When you think on it, the chemistry that dictates behavior adjust to a new regimen. Yanking the carpet from under those new settings creates absolute chaos and the brain sure lets you know it. Talk about revenge...

You need to be very careful. I was on the maximum dosage and when it stopped working, I went through physical and emotional withdrawal. Before this I was not even aware that you could experience withdrawal from an antidepressant.

I have before

Do you experience any nervousness or anxiety when you wake up in the morning?

I've taken Effexor for years and recently XR. I hated the medicine at first because I did the ultimate no no by going off cold turkey. BAD idea. I had volcanic instant temper and probably flash psychosis. I went back with md and gradually reduced to lowest dose in case I ever got cut off...always a fear of mine. But now, I take max dose xr because it helps. It's not that it makes me feel bad, it's just going off cold turkey was a shock in its consequences and I didn't want to be dependent on it. Now I don't mind because it solves problems.