Severe withdrawals - Venlafaxine (Effexor) - please help!

Oh my word, that is horrible. You were on that stuff a long time so when you try to come off of it, it takes a really long time. Up your dose a little until the side effects subside and take a much longer time to taper down. Please take care.

Oh my! I'm so sorry that you have been through this. I am currently withdrawing from Effexor, with little to no problems. My doctor referred me to a pharmacist, who follows up with me frequently. Definitely consult with your doctor and/or pharmacist!

Hello, thank you so much for your message. I was fine for months as I came down. The withdrawals started when I reached 75 mgs slow release every other day. I’ve now been on 37.5 mgs slow release for a bit less than four weeks. I am in contact with my doctor, and have an appointment booked with the surgery pharmacist on 24/6, (the earliest possible apparently). I don’t feel that I can wait that long, so my husband took a letter in yesterday; hopefully I’ll be able to speak to someone soon. How about you? Have you been on effexor for long? I do hope that your experience carries on as it has so far! Thank you again.
Zainah-Elizabeth Lovel

Hello, thank you very much for your message, and advice. It was a relief to hear someone suggest a partial increase in my dose. In my research I’ve seen it said that you could only get rid of withdrawal symptoms by going back on your whole initial dose. For me that would be 300mgs daily. It’s been so wonderful to have a clear head that I can’t bear the thought of being so sedated again. I couldn’t ever say either that I wish I’d never taken venlafaxine - I wouldn’t be here now if I hadn’t it. I couldn’t go back to that situation, so if I had to go back on the venlafaxine because my depression etc. came back, that would be one thing. I’d find it hard to go back because of the withdrawals though. If only it was easier to see doctors in the U.K.! I have a telephone appointment with the pharmacist booked for 24th, and one with the doctor a few days later. Yesterday my husband took a letter in to our doctor, to tell her how much things have worsened. Now we must wait to see if she says anything. In the meantime I may well do as you suggest. Thank you again.
Zainah-Elizabeth Lovell

I'm so sorry to see you suffering like this. This is such a hard life when ones health is not good. I would definitely increase the dose just a little at a time until you feel okay again and stay at that dose for a while. When you decide to taper off again go much slower. After being on something for that long, the taper must be slow and easy and much longer than a normal taper. Our health care sucks here in Canada and it sounds like it's not much better in the UK. It's a sign of the times Zainah. God bless and I pray that you feel better soon.

I was on Effexor XR for about 12 yrs or so, never attributing the horrid nightmares, night terrors, and hallucinations to the drug. Also a sense of "disconnect" and a slew of other daily issues, but never an improvement with depression...I've explained in detail in other sections here so I'll just cut to the chase: I wanted relief from all of these major disturbances that gripped my life, and made the decision to rid my system of this drug. But I did NOT go cold turkey nor did I devise my own plan or take advice from someone on the same medication. I turned to a trusted neurologist to have her create a tapering off schedule. Dose was slowly dwindled over a period of many months, and I was under her supervision. It was still a bit of hell, but manageable compared to what the demon drug had wrought. One thing for sure: Increasing the dose at any point along the journey was NOT ever considered. I wanted to MOVE FORWARD, not backward nor prolong the journey. With her compassionate care, I reached the last day and breathed a sigh of relief. It was still possible to have lingering effects but within a year I was totally released from the grips of any of the mental, psychological, and emotional remnants. I was convinced several years later to try generic Zoloft when I lost both my brother and my mother (I spun into another major depressive period in my life). Another huge mistake since that drug did nothing but to again blast my mind, emotions, and body with such painfully draining effects. And that drug was also tapered and finally eliminated with the guidance of the professional who had prescribed it. Zoloft inflicted auditory issues in its final weeks, requiring that the doctor arrange with my pharmacy for carefully measured drops spread out and also tapered over about 4 weeks before finally the sounds disappeared. Again lingering physical after effects but finally I was free of that drug also. Funny thing about those antidepressants: Neither actually addressed my depression...absolutamente nada.

I've posted on this site before and will reiterate: Please obtain PROFESSIONAL GUIDANCE FOR TAPERING OFF AND ULTIMATELY CEASING ANY PRESCRIPTION DRUG.
Effexor is an especially potent antidepressant which carries many potentially devastating side effects, including cardiac issues. I did extensive research, obtaining info from medical institutions and medical journals, not Web MD etc. It is disturbing to still read about members within this site resorting to self-tapering or taking the advice of others who have done the same. Not everyone responds/reacts the same within given situations, so it's imperative to have PROFESSIONAL guidance.

My comments are not to be considered criticism, but rather strong recommendation based on my personal experiences. My journey through ridding my body of Effexor (and later Zoloft) was arduous, and I vowed to never put myself through that again.
For anyone who (like me) is especially sensitive to medications, please plan on having professional guidance. This is imperative if you have cardiac issues and are on other prescribed meds. Following the self-directed plans of what works for someone else is a scary thought to me. You are UNIQUELY YOU. You will not obtain release immediately, but step by step you WILL get to your goal. And I can tell you that it is so well worth it!

I wish you the best, and am including you in my prayers, that you may find relief and peace.💖🙏🏽

Delia 74 & Zainah
Hi, I live in UK. Like Delia, I have expended the past few years researching about the withdrawal , (& in my case persisting legacy effects), of Venlafaxine. I have spoken to every Senior Professor Academic & Medical UK involved in this field. Only last week a Berlin based Professor has released a report into the extent of the issues with Anti Deps. Public enemy nr 2 is Venlafaxine. Report says , (I think a conservative estimate) , 2/3 % of patients get severe withdrawal issues. In my case, I was on 75Mg VEN from April 2017. Titration off started Oct 2018. Tried over 6 weeks . Impossible = horrendous vertigo. So went back to 75mg . With Dr & Pharmacist help, it took me till Oct 2023 to titrate off , (from November 2018). And ending up, by taking beads out of 37.5 mg capsule & then crushing beads up. THEN, diluting into a pot , & syringing down @ ML degradations. You would think I was out of the woods.
NO, we are @ June 2024. STILL I get 95% of side effects.
Principally, as Delia says , **Hallucinations, nightmares, extreme tiredness, cardiac issues, breathing problems. Delia , if **these ceased after a year with you, you have done well. An official UK Bristol Uni Medical journal paper of 2022, said a two fold risk of Cardiac issues occurs with VEN, if taken over 5 yrs. I could not have titrated off slower.
It seems, from scant internet case evidence. That in extreme sensitivity cases like mine, it can take 4/5 or more years AFTER such protracted titration as mine for side / withdrawal effects to end. How you can get this after such a slow & exacting titration ?
See You Tube on Internet by the UK's (late) Ian Singleton Interview. He had personal experience of this and went on to head up the (NHS Funding for removed in Sept 2023) "Bristol Tranquiliser Project ". They had helped 1,000's of people , despirate for help, since 1985. Despite their "Bristol tranquiliser label", over 50% of there help was for NATIONWIDE UK people, with Anti-depressant withdrawal issues. There are NO dedicated such help Organisations left in the UK. All such £ resource is directed at Cat A etc Drug addiction clinics.
If anyone has had such experience as mine (& a prognosis) I am all ears.
All the best.

Thank you for your message. I am supposedly under the care of my doctor, but getting to see her is difficult. She seems to prefer phone consultations for one thing, and also makes appointments more than six weeks apart. My blood pressure has risen for example, and an appointment was made for me to talk to the pharmacist on 24th June, which was about four weeks ahead at that time. As far as the next appointment with the doctor is concerned, when it was found that I needed a slight adjustment to a thyroid medication, she said I’d need a blood test to check it in four - six weeks, that she would look out for the results, and phone to discuss everything then, when she had them. The blood test appointment has been made for 26th June. As everyone in the U.K. is discovering, you can sit waiting on the phone to a G.P. surgery for literally hours, waiting for the call to be answered. If given an appointment, it’s quite often not even with a doctor. The strange thing is that I didn’t seem to have any withdrawal symptoms at all until I was down to 37.5 mgs daily, (which took about six months). I sailed through until then. In my efforts to see someone, I’ve now tried writing an urgent letter to my G.P. She was supposed to be the duty doctor on Friday, (she had made a point of telling me that she would be there on most Fridays). Unfortunately I heard nothing. I am now hoping for a response tomorrow. If I don’t get one, I shall be resorting to turning up at the surgery, and refusing to leave until I’ve been seen by a doctor. I don’t know what else to do.
Thank you so much for your thoughts, concern, and good wishes.

I recommend reading: "The Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines: Antidepressants, Benzodiazepines, Gabapentinoids and Z-drugs" by Mark Horowitz and David Taylor, published February 2024.
I gave copies to my doctor and pharmacist.

Hello Simon(?), thanks for your message. I was horrified to hear of your experience, but at least I’ve been warned. It’s certainly understandable that many people are unable to get off this medication. I’m now going to look up the interview with the late Ian Singleton. I’ll post again when I have anything more to say about my situation. Thank you for your good wishes.