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Tips on minimizing withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)
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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I have only been taking it for about 3 months and to be honest, I don’t think my gyno knows a lot about this med.
I have been tapering myself by taking 37.5 mg. I’ll do that for a week and if I feel ok I’m going to go to every other day.
I have just started on Prempro 3 days ago and have felt lousy all weekend so it’s like a double whammy.
I believe my symptoms are more from starting the HRT than from tapering the Effexor because they feel like PMS from hell which I used to experience every month.
Thanks for asking
The dr is actually a fill in for my regular gynecologist because mine had an accident and is out till end of February so I’m just tapering myself and I think I’m doing ok. I have been on a lot of meds in my life and I’ve never had any problems stopping them so this is the first time I’ve had to taper off one. I’ll monitor myself closely but so far had only had a little nausea and headache and tired but I had those on the med too so who knows but thanks for reading my post. I appreciate it.
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1 ReactionJim, I agree completely. About 20 years ago, a psychiatrist told me to abruptly switch from Effexor to Wellbutrin. I endured a horrible withdrawal but had no idea why. In those days, the pharmaceutical companies insisted that their antidepressants were not addicting and had no withdrawal effects. (Whether they knew and didn't disclose is another story.)
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1 Reaction@lukekee it sounds as if you are doing the right things. I hope you can continue to taper and not have any seriously difficult symptoms.
JK
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2 ReactionsI am going into my third month of Effexor withdrawal and I've been through HELL. Apparently Effexor affects not only serotonin but another brain receptor (starts with an "n", can't remember the name of it). My dr. weened me off of the Effexor in one month after having taken it for over ten years. That was waaaaay to fast. I am now on Lexaprox which is leaving me miserable to the point I can't even move. Not getting out of bed, showering, nothing. She has increased Xanax and now just prescribed Gabapentin for help in easing my anxiety. I am 60 years old and HAVE to make life changes if I'm going to survive this. After a divorce and losing my son in the past ten years, I am been almost immobile. I now have to figure out how to live the rest of my life. I'm retired and have started looking for a volunteer position or anything that will get me out of the house. I never in a million years thought at this age my life would be such a train wreck. I have one living child, a 37 year old daughter, who has chosen not to have children so I will never be a grandma. Something I've looked forward to all my life. I just feel like I'm existing and taking up space in this world.....
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3 Reactions@gagelle
I have never given much thought to my own experience with Effexor. I started taking Celexa in 2002 or 03, and after awhile I asked the doctor if there was a cheaper alternative, which began a 3 year journey of trying one antidepressant after another. During that time, depression spiraled downward. I tried Effexor in 2005, but didn't think it had any effect on me, so I moved on to the next one on the list of antidepressants, which was Wellbutrin, and I felt that it was helping. Unfortunately, at the time, during the last half of 2005, I began attempting suicide and admitted myself to a facility for people who have attempted suicide and survived. The psychiatrist on duty switched me back to Effexor for some still unknown reason. I was there for around 6 weeks, and when I went home, I went back to Wellbutrin. I have since wondered how much effect trying all of those antidepressants for six weeks each had on my worsening mental health. I didn't at the time have any understanding about the effects of stopping each one cold turkey and starting the next with no consideration of tapering on and off. That was going on when I lived in a very remote place with no access to mental health professionals. All I had was my pcp, whom I really liked, and who really cared about what was going on with me. But he wasn't trained to treat mental illness.
When I left the facility, I was required to start seeing a psychiatrist, which I did, and I began the long, difficult journey out of the black hole of depression. I know that I'm alive today because of the people who cared for me, and saw me as more than another loony patient. I'm pretty sure I would have committed suicide long ago if it weren't for some good therapists and doctors I've had over the past decade.
Enough rambling.
Jim
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2 ReactionsI was taking the Effexor for more than 1 1/2 years. I was actually in a mental health facility when the stoppage happened so I was monitored 24/7. It’s truly perplexing. Especially after I’ve read everything on this thread. I go see my psych on Jan 15th. I guess I’ll find out more about why the abrupt stop then.
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1 Reaction@sadiesmom These drugs that are getting talked about here sound really horrible. I hope you can find a good balance of things to take that will not leave you miserable.
A volunteer position sounds great. I did that for a while when I was between jobs. When I got a part-time job I had planned to continue it but I hurt my leg and the volunteer position required standing the whole time so I had to stop doing it. There are so many different types of things available depending on what you enjoy.
I can sympathize with you not having grandchildren. I am 70 and still none on the horizon. My kids must be late bloomers. My daughter just got married at 35, I have no idea if she will have children. My son is 37. I expect he will get married in the next couple of years but by the time he has children I will probably be too old to enjoy them, plus he is never going to live close to me.
JK
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1 Reaction@lukekee I agree that the combination of withdrawing from one drug and starting another could be a problem - it is hard to know which is causing the side-effects. Taking Pempro can be a difficult adjustment.
Teresa
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2 ReactionsI think what your doctor is doing with your Effexor withdrawal is outrageous. I urge you to find another physician. I also recommend a book called "Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal" by Peter Breggin. You've been through hell and back and deserve better treatment. What your doctor is doing is certainly a violation of The Hippocratic Oath as required by all American medical school graduates. In my opinion, you have grounds to file a complaint with the licensing board of your state. In your case, withdrawal from Effexor in a month is not merely a lack of sympathy but may be dangerous. (See Breggin's book.) https://breggin.com/a-guide-for-prescribers-therapists-patients-and-their-families/
I sincerely wish you the best and hope you have the energy to seek another physician. Some medical insurance plans pay for physician consultations over the phone or through secure computer video. My version of Blue Cross/Blue Shield has a service called "Teledoc." You can consult with a physician through your computer. They can also prescribe medications in any state. Effexor is easy to get as it is not a controlled substance. The following is an excerpt from the Hippocratic oath as it is administered today:
"I will remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy, and understanding may outweigh the surgeon's knife or the chemist's drug." "I will remember that I do not treat a fever chart, a cancerous growth, but a sick human being, whose illness may affect the person's family and economic stability. My responsibility includes these related problems, if I am to care adequately for the sick."
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