I started Venlafaxine 75mg about 4 years ago. Prior to that I had been on Citalapram for a number of years but felt that it was no longer working for me so took doctor’s advice and went onto Venlafaxine. My issues were around social anxiety and and stress of being a working mother with two young children and all the issues that go with that re childcare, guilt and no longer having ‘me’ time! Having now got to a more easier time of life and not liking the side affects of Venlafaxine eg weight gain, excessive sweating and always feeling tired, I went to my doctor to suggest weaning off the drug. I was disappointed to find my regular doctor was away so saw a locum....best thing ever! He had taken antidepressants and gave me a regime for coming off it! It has taken four months to be completely off Venlafaxine and that was only 75mg! His recommendation for me was to take one 37.5mg in the morning and another at night for a month then drop to one 37.5mg for a month then stop completely. I stopped completely 7 days ago. It didn’t take long for the withdrawal to kick in. With me it was the brain zaps, lightheadedness and heart beat irregularity that are the worst symptoms but have had slight nausea and diarrhoea but nothing too bad. Today is the first day I have felt energised and not fatigued. Still getting the brain zaps which for me are not shocks but dull swooshing noise when I move my eyes or head suddenly but getting better each day. Listening to iPod through ear buds seems to have helped take my mind off them and don’t notice the zaps! Having read other people’s accounts of coming of this drug has been frightening and had I known how hard it would be to come off it I probably wouldn’t have started with it but it has helped when I needed it at the time and if you have the patience to do the withdrawal slowly, it can be managed! Hopefully I am through the worst and won’t have a relapse of withdrawal symptoms. Do not go cold turkey! Take your time and let your body adjust!

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