Tips on minimizing withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)

Hi, @newberry--Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. Glad you've found the posts on this discussion helpful.

That is not fun at all that each day after halving your Venlafaxine has seemed to get worse.

@wendyw, @hopeful33250, @coloradogirl, @parus, @jenapower, @jimhd, @bekinprogress, @cathy615, @lcamino, @ricktrout, @nanke99 -- would any of you have any tips on dealing with or calming the night sweats, or words of encouragement as @newberry tapers back on Venlafaxine (Effexor)?

If you don't mind me asking, @newberry, what is your full taper plan? Does it seem to be going too fast, or at the right pace?

My son has taken his prescription to a compounding pharmacy who is reducing to dose so he can slowly taper off the 37.5. He is now a week into having the 18.5 mg and it’s been much better than when he tried to stop the 37.5. His plan is to do this for another week, then go down to 9 mg for a few weeks. It seems everyone reacts differently to the withdrawals but this tapering is better for him. I spoke to Pfizer yesterday and suggested the make weaning off dosages too!

@newberry, @ lisalucier - Sorry I did not have any side effects when I stopped Effexor. I don't even recall tapering so I must have been on a smaller dose.

Lynn

@wednyw - I'm impressed at you contacting drug manufacturers. I've never done that before but I will keep it in mind if it is ever applicable in the future. Going straight to the source is not a bad option.

Lynn

@newberry, if the side effects are too bad, you might need to talk to your doctor about a slower taper. I seem to be a person who is really sensitive to changes in medications (not just anti-depressants) and I had this problem going off of Zoloft. The usual taper is to cut the dose in half each time - which means at the beginning that it's a pretty big decrease in the amount of medication. We went down by 1/4 each time and that did help, although at the end I got tired of the side effects coming back at each dosage change so when I hit the minimum starting dose, I just went off completely and dealt with it for a couple of weeks. It is hard but you can do it - just be patient with yourself in the meantime.

Hello, I have to say that after the 5/6 day things started getting better. I haven't been feeling anywhere near a terrible as I was. I did call to speak to my doctor just to confirm that how I was feeling was "normal" and it was/is. I will take this dose for 4 weeks. I am not exactly sure of full taper plan but I think I'm going to be cutting dose in half and then maybe every other day until finished. I just hope that for each step I don't feel that way for that long. Thank you to everyone who responded!

Hi @lisalucier and @jimhd , I had alot going on with my Mom having emergency surgery at 91, so I have not been able to reply. She's recovering nicely :).
I did continue to taper off at 37.5 mg for a week until I was back home to talk with my Doctor. After my pleading for my dosage to be reduced further, he put me on 25 mg twice a day for two weeks. I'm in my second week. Then I'm suppose to go to 25 mg a day for a week them stop (if I can). With another follow up appointment on 12/14.
I have not had any of the brain zaps in the last week however, my nightmares do continue, and I'm sleepy all the time. He did say he may refer me to a psychiatrist to help with the tapering off should I continue to have serious side effects. I said I'll do whatever it takes. The brain zaps, nauseau, vomitting, vertigo was just horrible and I told him I had never had side effects like that. He also recommended I may go on Prozac or Zoloft, which I've taken in the past, to help with the depression if it continues.
Honestly, I feel better knowing that soon I'll be off the Effexor XR. The fear is real. To those that wish to get off, do not give up!
Blessings to everyone.

Lynn I contacted them a few weeks ago and didn’t get far with the person spoke to apart from he4 saying for more information I would need a doctor or pharmacist to call. Which the pharmacist did do.
But a couple of days ago a Pfizer person contacted me and gathered information in a very professional manner and will contact my son directly.
The information given by people with concerns is collated and kept in case a pattern is shown. I’m my case it was to see if Effexor caused severe kidney stones in my son. Having this call from Pfizer made me feel listened to, and that they genuinely wanted to know the details. She also said they would notify me in the future if anything changed.

@lisalucier and @jimhd I also want to add that I've started talking Omega 3 & multivitamin that I've heard helps. I also take 200 mg of L-Theanine. Its something I've used for years to quiet my mind to help me sleep. It also relieves the anxiety without any side affects. Just thought I'd share that too.

@newberry - This is a good time to practice patience. I've learned to taper in very small increments, and give each change more time than I really needed to. I remember some of the words from a book we read often to our children 30 years ago. Slow and steady, steady and slow - that's the way I always go. That was a Disney version of the tortoise and the hare.

I doubt very much that your doctor would object to you tapering even more slowly than she prescribes. Posting here about your progress can help others know more about what to expect. Thanks for keeping us posted about your experience.

Jim