Tips on minimizing withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)

I have been taking EffexorXR for a few years. I was on it to help me with mood swings and hot flashes through menopause. I asked my obgyn doctor about dosing down and she questioned my wanting to get off the drug. Surprising. So, I asked my GP about it and we decided to take me off of the 37.5 xr dosage slowly by taking 1/2 of a 25mg tablet (not xr) twice daily for 3 weeks, then down to 1/4 tablet and so on. I am in process with this now, week one and so far, so good. I was on a low dosage, thankfully.

@carmel0corn -- interesting observation about the caffeine and symptoms.

So, some of your lows ( and perhaps highs, too?) have come back now that you're off the venlafaxine (Effexor)?

I'm in the same process of cutting off the Effexor. I'm on 37.5 and take it on one of every 2 days. I was wondering: if I got a dose of 18 each day (instead of 37 every two days), wouldn't that be easier? Couldn't I just split the capsule? I've been researching for methods to split the capsule and I'm feeling very tempted to take that approach. Has anyone tried it?

Are you tapering off effexor? I'm tapering off a Benzo using liquid tapering. There is no easy way but little by little and slow. I hope someone going off effexor will be able to help you. I'm working with my Physician to taper and am also going to use CBD oil to help me. My Best To You

I didn’t have the capsules just the pills! I weaned off in one month to fast, but yes it was the CBD oil that helped me and still helping with withdrawals

Not too fast at all - just right. Congratulations! I'm going to make a new post re: tapering fast vs. slow. I think fast-ish is much better for a lot of reasons. Good for you!!!

Yes I took venlafaxine for a year, to quit smoking, cut back to vaping, tried to get off venlafaxine, now vaping & strawberry hemp extract. Should have just continued to smoke. Fml

Hello all. Much ❤️, and may you have a smooth journey tapering off of venlafaxine

I wanted to post an update, and perhaps a conclusion on my journey, and in the process, gently argue that for some, it may be better to taper rapidly vs. slowly.

My journey began in roughly 2008 when I started taking the drug. I am in a much different place in my life now, and it is time to return to the real me. My taper began March 2, 2018 (to the best of my backward calculating skills because I didn't keep track in the beginning), and ended April 22, 2018 (almost exactly 50 days). I started at a dose of 375mg/day.

My titration 'plan' so to speak, because I didn't really put much thought into it was to decrease my daily dose by 37.5mg every week until I hit zero. For the first 4-5 weeks, it was moderately unpleasant, but very tolerable. My anxiety bumped up a couple of notches, and my head buzzed a little bit, but that was about it. ...and THEN at 187.5mg, like a ton of bricks, the symptoms hit me HARD. I talked about that on page 38: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/tips-on-minimising-withdrawal-symptoms-from-effexor-aka-venlafaxine/?pg=38#comment-100076 Essentially, I spent an entire weekend curled up in a fetal position grunting and moaning in pain. It was absolutely excruciatingly toxic. At that time, I made a difficult, but very important decision - I was looking at another 4-5 weeks of tapering with my current "plan", so I decided instead to accelerate the process with a new "10 day plan". I fully expected my symptoms to get worse, but much to my surprise, they actually did not. I took my last dose yesterday, and I honestly feel much better today than I did at 187.5mg. I still anticipate a good 4-6 weeks of symptoms to some degree as I return to me. Already, I can feel higher highs, and lower lows than I did with therapy, but I am looking forward to the good and the bad as I return to 'normal'.

So... That is my $.02 on rapid titration vs slow. If you want to get off this drug, you are going to have symptoms regardless of how slowly you taper. Your mileage may vary, but for me, a fast-ish (50 day) titration worked out pretty well, all things considered. Everyone's situation is different, but for those of you out there considering a fast-ish taper, I am here to say that it can be done, and in truth, it really isn't all that bad.

I wish everyone the best of luck and good health on your journey. Peace and love to you all....

~efexnot

Hi, @tundra -- Thank you for all the support and information you are offering. Please note that I removed your personal email address from this public discussion. Posts to the discussion board are public, and we don't want you getting unwanted spam, etc. We recommend sharing personal contact information by private message, as it is a secure, private option.

Thank you so much for understanding.

Hi, @ladislara. Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect.

If you get a chance to read back through posts in this discussion, I think you'll find members talking about tapering methods they've used (some prescribed by a physician, some not).

What led you to the decision to taper off the venlafaxine (Effexor)?