Tips on minimizing withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)

@tennessgirl
I did some research and this is what I found:
http://www.martincwiner.com/generic-venlafaxine-banned-in-europe-fda-and-health-canada-remain-silent/
Ronnie (GRANDMAr)

So what are your plans....if you are going to get cut off, I would be proactive and be making plans before that happens.
I am laughing (NOT) thinking of everyone running around trying to buy Effexor like folks run around to buy opioids.

If you are not even on this drug, why the flap here in mayo clinic connect? This medication kept me alive. I am not being dramatic.
I am trying to understand your point.

Ok checking in...I feel like crap today. My bones are hurting, the larger the bone mass is, the higher the ache in them. Slept extremely poorly. Up and down all night. I feel like I have the worst flu.
The only difference I can find in my life is I got stung by a sweat bee...second one in as many months. I have a lump the size of a 50 cent piece near my knee. I have never had challenges with bee stings in the past because bees are usually my friends but I am nature girl. Who knows how many times I have been stung in the past.
What I am really not used to is feeling grumpy. This is so extremely rare for me. I hate it.

I wanted to pop into this community for personal support and to help others that are tapering off of effexor xr or venelafaxine.

I follow a strict Paleo diet and have eliminated or reversed 5 chronic, autoimmune diseases. Effexor is my final (12th) drug to get off of. It’s been a 3 year process and I’m thrilled to report I no longer have ulcerative colitis, ADHD, eczema, hypothyroidism and anxiety/depression. Most of the medications were easy to eliminate, but effexor has taken more planning and self care.

Last July (2017), I decided it was time to begin the tapering process. I was only taking 75 mg., but knew from the experience of accidentally skipping a dose, that I should not follow my doctor’s orders of getting off it in one month. After all, I had been taking it for nearly 18 years! So instead, I began by taking 10 beads out of the capsule.

I did ok, but it was a rough start. Thankfully it was summer and I didn’t need to be near my fifth grade students. I continued with the taper and got to 37.5 mg and settled there for a few months while preparing for my son’s wedding.

Since January 2018, I’ve been decreasing the dose by about 2 beads every other week. For the most part, this has been manageable, but I’ve had days where I’ve felt nauseated, dizzy and agitated. I’ve needed to be so careful in my job as 10 year olds do not deserve to be treated unfairly. So, that’s a big reason why I’ve taken this slowly.

Now it’s the following summer and just last week I went from 15 beads to 10 beads. I had a fairly good week until day 6, which was yesterday. I experienced hot flashes (not typical on a Paleo diet despite my age ~ 53 years), apathy, fatigue and the occasional brain zap. Today I do not want to function, but I don’t feel depressed or anxious ~ just unmotivated.

I’m slightly nervous about these last 10 beads. I intend to drop to 5 beads in 6 days, and then down to two and hopefully in a month, I’ll call it quits. But, I’m nervous about the final dose. The few dreadful experiences I’ve encountered are enough to make me nervous about the whole thing.

Anyhow, this endeavor will have taken me a solid year. But I feel the slow tapering was worth it for me. I am such a sensitive person and I don’t handle physical symptoms well. I know that my diet (no grains, sugar, pasteurized dairy, starches or legumes), has been a positive in all this and has probably made this transition easier than for some people. Nonetheless, my brain wants to be off this junk.

Definitely Omega 3 fats and high quality fish oil have proven to be helpful. These are part of my diet anyhow, so just upping the dose has proven beneficial. Hoping to rely on this during the final stretch.

I’ll write again when I totally get off it. Each time I dropped a few beads, my brain reminded me it was time for the next dose. Unsure what will happen when I eliminate it entirely. Would love any advice that anyone is willing to share.

Congradulations on getting rid of severe diseases and the Paleo diet. My hat is off to you. I got rid of severe fibro, but I believe I did it with flower essences. I am a flower essence practioner. I own all of the Alaskan Flower essences and all of the Desert Alchemy essences. As I write this I am wondering why I did not make an essence to help with the withdrawal. I just did not think of it, I guess.
Now, if I am calculating right, at your present rate of withdrawal with the beads, will you be taking your last dose after school restarts? Not a good idea, in my humble opinion. You state the students are your priority. (Hurrah for you.) Even with dropping down the beads, you will still have withdrawal symptoms.
You can find plenty of support here.
I have to take my dog for a walk. Be back later.
Welcome!

By the way, I hope you will come back before you get off it. We all have little tricks that helped with different symptoms. Smiling at you

@brightwings Interesting as Effexor caused an increase in suicidal behavior and self-harm as well as being a terribly angry person. Once again, we are not all wired the same.
I have given up on any type of antidepressants. I truly am thankful when another can be helped by thus.

You must be taking the timed release and what a genius idea taking out the beads! Mine are round tablets so I do not get to try your trick!! Most of my trouble started as she increased the dose to 75 BID. I'm just going to slowly slip back down by amt taken over each 24 dose( 75mg every 8 hours). The brain on roller coaster slamming into the wall makes me feel like holding on to the bed. Is definitely the worse feeling in the world. Keep passing on your wisdom! Thank you all for welcoming me into the group. It helps just knowing I am not alone or crazy!

THAT would be wonderful. If you made an essence that helped with the withdrawal. I would be camping by to be 1st in line. THANK you all.