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.