I made it as far as day 6 off of Effexor. At day 4 I thought I could survive and finally get rid of Effexor forever. That night I thought I would die. My body was shaking violently and my mind was racing. I just couldn’t take it. The pain of withdrawal was too much. I went back to the doctor yesterday. He spent 30 minutes with me. Apparently serotonin levels in my brain are not replenishing themselves even after a lengthy withdrawal period. He says I will have to take Effexor or another SSRI for the rest of my life. I am extremely upset. I feel like a failure. Dr tried to say that it’s just like needing insulin for a diabetic condition and does not mean I failed. I started back on 37.5 mg yesterday with the support of Xanax until I can settle my shaky bones. I guess being Effexor free is not in the cards for me. Good luck to all.