Effexor Withdrawal

Effexor Withdrawal Information Here:

Ok feel sorry for me ;-) the Lamotrigine doesn't work in the same way as effexor so me taking it isn't balancing the withdrawal effects. TBH, I think I've got off pretty lightly so far. But as I get lower it'll get worse. I have a huge suspicion that next time they'll tell me to stop it completely. In the forum I read sometimes, some people have taken a year or more to stop it but I've only had 6 weeks.
Some of the other problems they've had are the god damn awful crying Jags, Crying for no reason, the feelings of wanting to die to get peace, vomiting, diarrhoea, inability to think straight.
I think the main crux of the problem is, that despite not telling me (I am however a nurse and I have interpreted the few choice words they've said) that Effexor has contributed to my physical health being poor ATM. My renal function, blood clotting, headaches, weight gain, hypertension etc.
So it has to go.

"So what's the 'official' word on withdrawal?
Wyeth-Ayerst, the manufacturer of effexor and effexor xr, did a survey of all the patients in the clinical trial's testing program. According to their method of counting, 35% of the Effexor patients experienced withdrawal symptoms ranging from a flu-like syndrome to insomnia, nausea, nervousness, and loss of energy.
Also, from the FDA medical products reporting program, the list of withdrawal symptoms from effexor include:
agitation, anorexia, anxiety, confusion, coordination impaired, diarrhea, dizziness, dry mouth, dysphoric mood, fasciculation, fatigue, headaches, hypomania, insomnia, nausea, nervousness, nightmares, sensory disturbances (including shock-like electrical sensations), somnolence, sweating, tremor, vertigo, and vomiting.
One more common effect not mentioned above is long term vision problems.
Most likely, 35 percent is an underestimate of Effexor's withdrawal problems. Drug companies, like so many other companies (does Enron ring a bell?) are quite adept at 'playing with the numbers'.
What's not in dispute is the high number of 'serious' side effects from withdrawal.
The FDA defines as 'serious' any side effect that causes
death,
hospitalization,
cancer,
permanent disability, or
birth defects. "