Effexor withdrawal

For the past three months I’ve thought I’ve been going crazy.  I’ve
been having a continuous problem that has and is effected my school,
my internship, my social life, and my life in general.  I’ve decided
to share it since it is intensely linked to mental health and may
prevent others from having the same experience.
It started when I decided to go off of Effexor.  It is well-known
that Effexor or any SSRI or SNRI can precipitate rapid-cycling in
individuals who have bipolar disorder (my diagnosis), and, my
psychiatrist and I decided that Effexor was probably doing me more
harm then good.
I’ve only been on Effexor since August of 2007.  My psychiatrist and
I decided that I should go off it in March of 2008.  We decided to
taper off the dosage over a week or two, the same way I went up on it
to get to the full dose (75 mgs).  That meant two weeks of 37.5 mg and
then off it altogether.  Sounds easy, right?
Wrong.  I was – and still am - in for a ride.  The first effect was
the electric currents.  I would come to learn that these are fairly
common with Effexor withdrawal (and while being on Effexor).  They
were unlike the pleasurable electric currents that come in hypomania
or mania.  If you’ve ever been shocked electrically, you have an idea
of what it’s like.  The electric currents shot throughout my brain,
and, honestly, put the fear of God into me.  I thought I was going to
have a seizure… seizures are electric storms in the brain, and I once
had one after suffering a brain injury.  I had to leave classes, skip
get-togethers, and hide because the electric currents were too
strong.  Once I got used to it to some extent, there were points at
which I felt like I could “shoot” electricity out of my hands.  It
was, obviously, very odd.  Then came the tardive dyskenisia
(involuntary muscle spasms) and the paranoia.  Both were extremely
mild but ever-present.  They passed and were replaced by a feeling as
if I’m going to gag or vomit constantly, and, a difficulty swallowing…
for months now.  It’s caused me to lose 15 pounds.  I thought I was
losing it.
I began charting the symptoms.  I have been charting moods and
symptoms most of my life, and, focused on these symptoms to see if I
could find a pattern, rhyme, or reason for them.  I noticed they came
on primarily when in social situations... or any situation during
which I got a little anxious.  Anxiety is linked to adrenaline.  Our
adrenal system is composed of epinephrine and norepinephrine
neurotransmitter systems.  Effexor is an SNRI and the “N” in SNRI
stands for “norpehinephrine.”  It finally hit me that it could be
Effexor withdrawal.  I went back on 37.5 and noticed a reduction in
the latest withdrawal symptoms – but they are still ever-present.
I started researching it on the internet.  I found thousands of
individuals have suffered the same symptoms when they are coming off
Effexor.  Validation at last!  I wasn’t going crazy.  Even the
explanations for what they were experiencing were almost a spot on
match to my experience.  I found discussion boards, message boards,
warning sites, chat rooms, and doctor warnings discussing the horrors
of withdrawing from this medication.  I read testimonials stating
these adverse side effects from Effexor have lasted four, five, six
months and longer!  It’s been three for me.  They have me repeating Al
Pacino’s words in the Godfather Part III: “just when I thought I was
out, they pull me back in.”
Anyone taking this medication must be aware of the withdrawal
symptoms.
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