I was placed on Effexor 75mg in 1999. In July, 2005 I was hospitalized for a severe depressive episode with suicidal ideation. The psychiatrist diagnosed that the Effexor at the current dosage was no longer working and increased the dosage to 300mg of Effexor daily with 25mg of Seroquel for sleep. In April 2007, I had another severe depressive episode with anxiety and suicidal ideation. The psychiatrist informed me that the Effexor was no longer working and wanted to taper me off the drug completely. It was decreased to 75mg and eventually 37.5mg with Wellbutrin 100mg added. I cannot get past 37.5mg of Effexor without severe withdrawal symptoms occuring. These include hypertension, headache, severe vertigo, 'brain zaps', confusion, disorientation, nausea, vomiting diarrhea. My doctor stated she hadn't read anything about withdrawal aside from 'mild discontinuation symptoms'. I had never had high blood pressure before taking Effexor either. I have read at hundreds of internet sites and blogs that others have experienced 'withdrawal hell' when trying to stop Effexor XR, so I am 100 certain that I am not the only one. My health insurance does not cover Effexor XR. It is very expensive and there is no generic version. I have tried many methods for tapering off Effexor from counting grains of it to a compounding pharmacy to no avail. The lowest I got was approximately 30mg by counting grains. There is no accurate way to taper off Effexor XR below 37.5 mg. I tried to work during the symptoms but couldn't. I hoped that this wouldn't last more than a couple of days but it went on for 7 days before I couldn't take it anymore and returned to 37.5mg. I do not want to have to take this medication for the rest of my life. I still continue to have high blood pressure readings while on it. The doctors I have seen have no idea how to safely taper me off Effexor XR and they do not know how to treat the withdrawal symptoms. Wyeth should take responsibility for the horrendous withdrawal symptoms of Effexor XR and educate both Dr's and patients on safely tapering off this medication and acknowledge the harm done rather than denying it and calling it erroneously 'mild to moderate discontinuation symptoms'. There are numerous books and publications written by medical professionals on the market that acknowledge and describe the terrible withdrawal symptoms and potential for addiction of many SSRI drugs. Wyeth needs to take responsibility to help those patients that have been harmed by Effexor XR.