1. < Depression & Anxiety

Tips on minimizing withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)

Posted by richyrich @richyrich, Nov 2, 2016

I have been taking Effexor/Venlafaxine for years and tried to get off it a few times but each time I try to give up the chemical withdrawal symptoms are a horror story and I give up giving up. Anyone got any tips or tried and tested strategies? Thank you

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kla1960 | @kla1960 | Aug 1, 2020

I would appreciate any input about anyone's experience with this. This is my only psychotropic drug remaining. I am a Retired RN and gave undergone successful deprescribing of other rxs. It is time for me. I have past trauma history and yes been psychiatry " victim" long enough.

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1 reply
Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Aug 1, 2020
In reply to @kla1960 "I would appreciate any input about anyone's experience with this. This is my only psychotropic drug..." + (show)
@kla1960

I would appreciate any input about anyone's experience with this. This is my only psychotropic drug remaining. I am a Retired RN and gave undergone successful deprescribing of other rxs. It is time for me. I have past trauma history and yes been psychiatry " victim" long enough.

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Hi @kla1960 and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. You'll notice that I moved your message to this existing discussion called "Tips on minimising withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)" in the Depression & Anxiety group https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/depression-anxiety/

I did this so that you can read through the past messages and connect with incredibly knowledgeable and supportive members like @coloradogirl @nanke99 @2degrees @secretwhitepop @sheffieldsmith @cp6401 @jh31251 and so many others.

Kla1960, congrats on tapering off other prescriptions. You mentioned that you're currently on venlafaxine 75mg. Was that your max dose or have you tapered down to 75mg? What taper schedule has been recommended for you?

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sears | @sears | Aug 2, 2020

Has anybody ever completely gotten off antidepressants? And live a normal life? No brain damage, no nothing? It seems like we’re all stuck on these meds for life.

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2 replies
doorman | @doorman | Aug 2, 2020
In reply to @sears "Has anybody ever completely gotten off antidepressants? And live a normal life? No brain damage, no..." + (show)
@sears

Has anybody ever completely gotten off antidepressants? And live a normal life? No brain damage, no nothing? It seems like we’re all stuck on these meds for life.

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I can’t take SSRI’s.. Getting off Effexor was the worst. Now I’ll take an occasional benzo to deal with my anxiety. Can’t really say about the brain damage....lol. A normal life? What’s that?

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dywells6 | @dywells6 | Aug 2, 2020
In reply to @jakedduck1 "@seashore I disagree about taking this pharmaceutical off of the market. I certainly agree with you..." + (show)
@jakedduck1

@seashore
I disagree about taking this pharmaceutical off of the market. I certainly agree with you on the following statement ” Doctors must try to grow some compassion for mental health patients.” The pharmaceutical company who developed this medication failed to do adequate testing & provide discontinuation procedures so we can’t totally blame the doctors although they should know by now from having enough complaints by their patients that they’re stopping this medication too quickly. A psychiatrist in France was taking this medication and he decided to discontinue this medication the same way he prescribed his patients to stop and obviously he had withdrawl symptoms. Then he stopped at a later time and he use the 5-10% method and it was very successful, he had no withdrawal symptoms at all and now he advocates the 5-10% method. It’s a shame people don’t come here first and read this thread to educate themselves on others experiences, if they did they wouldn’t have to experience the awful withdrawal symptoms. Obviously patients don’t have to obey their doctor and take these large cuts and suffer the withdrawal symptoms. But this drug does help a large number of patients so again I disagree that it should be taken off of the market. However I do believe the pharmaceutical company should educate the physicians who prescribe it.
Take care,
Jake

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What is the 5-10 method?

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1 reply
Leonard | @jakedduck1 | Aug 2, 2020
In reply to @sears "Has anybody ever completely gotten off antidepressants? And live a normal life? No brain damage, no..." + (show)
@sears

Has anybody ever completely gotten off antidepressants? And live a normal life? No brain damage, no nothing? It seems like we’re all stuck on these meds for life.

Jump to this post

Yes, although I don’t know if what I had was actually depression to be honest. I went to my doctor and she said I was depressed I disagreed however I agreed to take Celebrex and I took it for maybe 3 to 4 months and then I went off of it with no problem. My brain damage is was caused from three years of comas about 10 of them but longest lasted eight months. I decided one day to except whatever life throws at me and to cope with it. I am a very happy person. I don’t have any anxiety. I believe in dealing with whatever comes along in life. If I did have depression it was obviously mild.
Jake

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1 reply
Leonard | @jakedduck1 | Aug 2, 2020
In reply to @dywells6 "What is the 5-10 method?" + (show)
@dywells6

What is the 5-10 method?

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@dywells6
Hello,
It’s where you reduce your current dose by 5 or 10% instead of a set milligram. If insurance will pay it’s best to have prescriptions filled at a compounding pharmacy. Although some people who have an easier time at reducing medication may increase the percentage.
Good luck,
Jake

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lilypaws | @lilypaws | Aug 3, 2020
In reply to @jakedduck1 "Yes, although I don’t know if what I had was actually depression to be honest. I..." + (show)
@jakedduck1

Yes, although I don’t know if what I had was actually depression to be honest. I went to my doctor and she said I was depressed I disagreed however I agreed to take Celebrex and I took it for maybe 3 to 4 months and then I went off of it with no problem. My brain damage is was caused from three years of comas about 10 of them but longest lasted eight months. I decided one day to except whatever life throws at me and to cope with it. I am a very happy person. I don’t have any anxiety. I believe in dealing with whatever comes along in life. If I did have depression it was obviously mild.
Jake

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@jakedduck1 Good for you, I am so glad that you don't need the anti-depressants. There are us who has inherited mental illness. Alot in my family has some sort of mental illness, The worse is my son who is bipolar 1. I am just depressive and anxiety complex. Had previously been diagnosed as bipolar 2. But my mom took her own life at 69. I'm 68 and will be 69 soon. I just can't imagine doing that there is too much in life to enjoy, even though I'm depressed now I think it was from that long 9 hour surgery on my back. I can't bend, twist. or lift anything too heavy. I'm on Lexapro and from a message on this post heard it can make you lose bone mass. My bones are soft and I'm on an injectable med to help to strengthen my bones. Best wishes to you
Wow, 3 years of comas, what caused them?

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1 reply
Leonard | @jakedduck1 | Aug 3, 2020
In reply to @lilypaws "@jakedduck1 Good for you, I am so glad that you don't need the anti-depressants. There are..." + (show)
@lilypaws

@jakedduck1 Good for you, I am so glad that you don't need the anti-depressants. There are us who has inherited mental illness. Alot in my family has some sort of mental illness, The worse is my son who is bipolar 1. I am just depressive and anxiety complex. Had previously been diagnosed as bipolar 2. But my mom took her own life at 69. I'm 68 and will be 69 soon. I just can't imagine doing that there is too much in life to enjoy, even though I'm depressed now I think it was from that long 9 hour surgery on my back. I can't bend, twist. or lift anything too heavy. I'm on Lexapro and from a message on this post heard it can make you lose bone mass. My bones are soft and I'm on an injectable med to help to strengthen my bones. Best wishes to you
Wow, 3 years of comas, what caused them?

Jump to this post

@lilypaws
Hello,
My comas were caused from continuous Convulsive Tonic-Clonic Status Epilepticus which is a severe medical emergency when a person has one seizure after another without regaining consciousness in between them.
I was put into an induced coma to stop them. It took eight months for them to stop. When they woke me up I had no memory at all, (Retrograde amnesia.) I was unable to perform the simplest tasks. I would think my memory loss would bother me the most but what hurts the most is my inability to play the piano. When I was brought home I didn’t even know what the piano was.
Take care,
Jake

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pattpooh | @pattpooh | Aug 10, 2020
In reply to @coloradogirl "Hi @hopeful33250 and @linxy. Teresa, it's hard to know what the brain zaps are unless you..." + (show)
@coloradogirl

Hi @hopeful33250 and @linxy. Teresa, it's hard to know what the brain zaps are unless you have had them, but for anyone who has gone off of one of these anti-depressants, it's a common side effect. It feels like a slight electrical current that runs through your brain. They are usually not painful but they are very strange and disconcerting. (Some people also get them as a side effect of the meds or when increasing their dosage). In my case, I got them anytime I moved my head too sharply. The good news is that once you're fully off the meds, they usually go away within a few weeks. Mine did at least.

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Hello, this is my first time here. I am Pat in Maryland. I will be speaking to my doctor this week and plan to tell her I want to get off Venlafaxine. I believe I am on 150mg. I also take 50 mg imipramine which I have been on for so long it has probably become part of my DNA. I may have to stay on it. Has anyone here read Kelly Brogan MD’s book on withdrawal from antidepressant drugs?

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