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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zainahelizabeth | @zainahelizabeth | 5 days ago

Hello, would it be possible for you please, to read my replies to:
‘@mmaffei’
‘@babyskyann123’
and
‘@mukmuk’

Each one of these would be relevant to you, I think.
Best of luck!!

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njoys | @njoys | 4 days ago
In reply to @zainahelizabeth "Hello, please would you be kind enough to read my reply to ‘babyskyann123’ as this is..." + (show)
@zainahelizabeth

Hello, please would you be kind enough to read my reply to ‘babyskyann123’ as this is also applicable to you. Also, I tried taking a 75mg tablet on alternate days, and found that it had an horrific effect - the last symptom I am gradually getting rid of almost one year later. My doctor stated that she had no experience in dealing with this, and that I knew more about it than she did! I bought a book called:

‘The Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines - Antidepressants, Benzodiazepines, Gabarpentinoids, and Z-drugs’

by Mark Horowitz and David Taylor. Both men are extremely well qualified, with David Taylor being professor of Psychopharmacology, King’s College University, London. He is also Director of Pharmacy and Pathology, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.

It’s not cheap, I paid
£ 40.00, but it’s worth every penny. The book covers everything about this subject, and includes tapering guidance for specific drugs - including venlafaxine (effexor). EVERY PERSON SHOULD BUY THIS BOOK if they are going through this, or plan to. I think all GP surgeries should have it too, if they prescribe any of these drugs. There is so much advice and information given, including example tables of how much one should reduce by, going from 300mgs per day to nothing. (By the way, I have nothing whatever to do with either the authors or the Maudsley Hospital. I get nothing by recommending people to buy it)! To give you an idea, I have been taking venlafaxine for many years; it will apparently take me at least 20 - 40 months, possibly more, for me to come off this drug whilst keeping withdrawal symptoms to a bearable minimum. Having had an awful year trying to cope with these horrible withdrawals, I shall be following what they say, to the letter. Please don’t take giving up this drug lightly. Good luck!

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You are 100% correct. I bought the book and gave one to my pharmacist and doctor. We all learned something vital for persons who have anything to do with Effexor/venlafaxine.

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zainahelizabeth | @zainahelizabeth | 4 days ago

I’m so pleased you found it useful.

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healthysenior | @healthysenior | 3 days ago
In reply to @coloradogirl "Happy to help. Good luck with your process. I also forgot to mention that both stress..." + (show)
@coloradogirl

Happy to help. Good luck with your process. I also forgot to mention that both stress and sugar seem to make the brain zaps worse for me. Even though I've been off for about a month now, I had a cupcake yesterday afternoon and within about an hour, I had quite a few. Worth watching in case it does the same thing to you.

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@coloradogirl, what is a "brain zap"?

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dfb | @dfb | 3 days ago

I have recently titrated a great many psychiatric medication‘s along with a number of medication given to me to deal with the side effects. If you want more information, please check my post and message me if you have any questions the single most important thing that I have found is hydration, hydration, hydration.

I drink 2 gallons of electrolytes daily right now as I exercise, try to regain my cognition and lose weight I have accumulated over fifteen years of putting prescribed poison into my body.

I recently researched and found that the brain is 80% water and a 1% reduction in a hydration lead to a 5% reduction in cognitive function.

I am not a person who has typically hydrated in fact I used to consume a lot of coffee for the stimulating affects to counteracted the sedative effects of the psychiatric medication and further dehydrate me, since reducing psychiatric medication and increasing hydration, it has been easy maintaining healthy and stable weight and emotional state.

Who knew…or maybe they do.

First thing in the morning I drink 8oz even before I get out of bed and I can feel the hydration feeding my cells, try it.

This is for me only, I strongly recommend avoiding hydration with lots of sugar, focus on electrolytes, potassium, sodium, zinc, magnesium.

I’m not recommending anything to anyone. You have to make your own decisions.

I also use 5 mg of creatine, which is extraordinarily heavily research along with electrolytes and this seems to be helping my brain and body stay hydrated.

Each of us has to make our own decisions talk to your doctors if they’ll pay attention and have the time. Or Google it yourself.

Made me mad when I realized how simple it is to feel a lot better.

The hydration and the creatine I mentioned are perhaps the most heavily research naturally occurring bodily substances in science. They cause no harm in the body, too much creatine makes me nauseous, no other side effects, take that Venlafaxine.

I guess people with high blood pressure should talk to there docs(?) about the sodium, but my blood pressure is 120/74 spot on down in 6 from 160/113 on meds…currently bp is without meds.

This is not the only intervention I’ve implemented but it is by far the easiest…the rest cascade from there.

This is my experience only, but it is real lived experience, not some theory. Please review my post, my experience is broad perhaps this might help you.

If my cognition had not been so retard by the heavy doses of meds I was on, I’d have jettisoned these poison years ago.

We will all live in peace and good health soon; it is our birthright,

David

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