1. < Depression & Anxiety

Tips on minimizing withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)

Posted by richyrich @richyrich, Nov 2, 2016

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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JK | @contentandwell | Jun 17, 2018
In reply to @jakedduck1 "I was on the Benzodiazepine drug Klonopin for seizures and you have to get off them..." + (show)
@jakedduck1

I was on the Benzodiazepine drug Klonopin for seizures and you have to get off them slowly to avoid seizures. The doc said to cut it in quarters and take three quarters a week then half finally one quarter but it didn’t work so I cut that quarter in half and in half again etc till it was barely visible and finally it worked.
Effexor comes in both capsules and tablets but I believe the tablets are much more expensive (about $70 more, I think) so although not recommended taking the capsule apart and removing a tiny amount should do the trick. If money is no problem it would be easier to get the tabs and cut them.
I use to take the antidepressant Cymbalta and a UPS man delivered a package and we were talking and antidepressants came up. He said “You have a choice, to be happy or sad.” I thought about that for a few days and decided he was right and I decided to be happy and I was. I stopped my Cymbalta. It may not work for everyone but it sure is with the effort. Best of luck!!

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@jakedduck1 that’s great that that worked for you, it must be a relief to be drug-free, but unfortunately I don’t think it’s that easy for many.

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Leonard | @jakedduck1 | Jun 17, 2018
In reply to @jakedduck1 "I was on the Benzodiazepine drug Klonopin for seizures and you have to get off them..." + (show)
@jakedduck1

I was on the Benzodiazepine drug Klonopin for seizures and you have to get off them slowly to avoid seizures. The doc said to cut it in quarters and take three quarters a week then half finally one quarter but it didn’t work so I cut that quarter in half and in half again etc till it was barely visible and finally it worked.
Effexor comes in both capsules and tablets but I believe the tablets are much more expensive (about $70 more, I think) so although not recommended taking the capsule apart and removing a tiny amount should do the trick. If money is no problem it would be easier to get the tabs and cut them.
I use to take the antidepressant Cymbalta and a UPS man delivered a package and we were talking and antidepressants came up. He said “You have a choice, to be happy or sad.” I thought about that for a few days and decided he was right and I decided to be happy and I was. I stopped my Cymbalta. It may not work for everyone but it sure is with the effort. Best of luck!!

Jump to this post

Hi Contentandwell, I agree with you. But it wasn’t all that easy for me but I wanted off it and was having other side effects so that made me more determined. I’m far from drug free though. I’m on Seizure meds till I die.

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johnmcg | @johnmcg | Jun 18, 2018

I quit the Venlafaxine about two weeks ago. I’m still taking bupropion and hydroxyzine pamoate. The vivid dreams, nightmares and night sweats were just too annoying and I chose to ride out the really tough few days to cleanse the body of it. Things seem to be going well. I’m more irritable than normal but am in the busy season of my job and management choices this year have made it worse.
I’m also more emotional and prone to crying about sentimental things but hope this will calm down.
I was put on Venlafaxine to help treat an awful life crisis and it has more or less passed and felt this was the right time to do this.

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dianrib | @dianrib | Jun 18, 2018
In reply to @jakedduck1 "I was on the Benzodiazepine drug Klonopin for seizures and you have to get off them..." + (show)
@jakedduck1

I was on the Benzodiazepine drug Klonopin for seizures and you have to get off them slowly to avoid seizures. The doc said to cut it in quarters and take three quarters a week then half finally one quarter but it didn’t work so I cut that quarter in half and in half again etc till it was barely visible and finally it worked.
Effexor comes in both capsules and tablets but I believe the tablets are much more expensive (about $70 more, I think) so although not recommended taking the capsule apart and removing a tiny amount should do the trick. If money is no problem it would be easier to get the tabs and cut them.
I use to take the antidepressant Cymbalta and a UPS man delivered a package and we were talking and antidepressants came up. He said “You have a choice, to be happy or sad.” I thought about that for a few days and decided he was right and I decided to be happy and I was. I stopped my Cymbalta. It may not work for everyone but it sure is with the effort. Best of luck!!

Jump to this post

Decide to be happy ? Wish it were that simple for most of us Each of our brains/ chemicals work differently. Both my parents had mental issues Maybe thats part of my difficulty getting off these meds For me they are somewhat ' toxic'

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lilgem71 | @lilgem71 | Jun 18, 2018
In reply to @jakedduck1 "I was on the Benzodiazepine drug Klonopin for seizures and you have to get off them..." + (show)
@jakedduck1

I was on the Benzodiazepine drug Klonopin for seizures and you have to get off them slowly to avoid seizures. The doc said to cut it in quarters and take three quarters a week then half finally one quarter but it didn’t work so I cut that quarter in half and in half again etc till it was barely visible and finally it worked.
Effexor comes in both capsules and tablets but I believe the tablets are much more expensive (about $70 more, I think) so although not recommended taking the capsule apart and removing a tiny amount should do the trick. If money is no problem it would be easier to get the tabs and cut them.
I use to take the antidepressant Cymbalta and a UPS man delivered a package and we were talking and antidepressants came up. He said “You have a choice, to be happy or sad.” I thought about that for a few days and decided he was right and I decided to be happy and I was. I stopped my Cymbalta. It may not work for everyone but it sure is with the effort. Best of luck!!

Jump to this post

They are toxic in my opinion too I had a heart attack in 2007 at age 35 they put me on Prozac after that to help with anxiety and stress after 5 years Taking that I stopped cold turkey because life changed and stress was less I didn't feel the need to continue but since then my anxiety and depression have become a daily struggle so I found they would try different meds over the years some work to a point but after a while didn't help so a year ago I started effexor and felt worse and worse as they increased doses so Dr weaned me off 150 MG to 75mg for 3 days and then 37.5 for 3 days then start Cymbalta 30 MG 2 days on that and I was a wreck so switched me to Lexapro 10mg and 25 MG Vistaril for anxiety which that's as needed 3 times a day I don't take it much at bedtime to help sleep and that didn't help a bit so I'm only on 1antidepressant the Lexapro 10 MG the past 2 weeks no effexor still having some weird fuzzy feeling in my head can't sleep feel like I'm starving all the time it seems less as the days pass but who knows how long this will last agitated easily cry for no reason but I will never allow them to switch me again hope to stop Lexapro soon too I do smoke thc which seems to help a lot might try the cbd oil but have not yet because I'm scared to try other things because of horrible side affects so I do understand now and hope everyone having these issues knows we can and will get threw this

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swtmtngirl | @swtmtngirl | Jun 18, 2018
In reply to @tonysdca "Just updating my experience with tapering from 75 mg Effexor after taking it for over 15..." + (show)
@tonysdca

Just updating my experience with tapering from 75 mg Effexor after taking it for over 15 years. I have taken 3 months to get down to 18.5 mg every other day. I tried reducing faster but experienced more zaps, nausea, etc., so I began tapering more slowly from 75 mg to 37.5 to 18.5 daily to now 18.5 every other day. I have found that CBD oil does help. 3 drops sublingually twice daily seems to work for me. I still get occasional sharp head pains that last a few seconds, some nausea, and even constipation (not sure how much of that is related to venlafaxine). My psychiatrist did put me on 150 mg Wellbutrin XR when I started withdrawal from Effexor, and I believe that prevented me from relapsing into depression. I am trying to be very patient as the very gradual withdrawal has helped minimize the side effects of withdrawal from Effexor. Optimistically, I hope to be Effexor free within 3 months.

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I was taking 225 mg a day and forgot to pick up my meds so I've been into withdrawal for bout 5 or 6 days I feel bad and think I'm getting depressed this feeling of being lost and loneliness is getting worse so I've been crying called the nurse at doctors office and she was supposed to call me back but hasn't yet. All of the different emotions and withdrawal symptoms r bad is there something that will help til I get this worked out. I drank kratom last night and it helped as long as I was still I'm afraid of getting to depressed and being stuck in a hole I can't crawl out of.

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buzzybrain | @buzzybrain | Jun 18, 2018

I don't understand why people romanticise "going cold turkey" it's potentially dangerous and has a higher failure rate. Being supportive is wonderful but implying that "I did it so can you" may have been a lead up to the prescription of the meds in the first place. Life changes are huge hurdles.. So is tapering. Be well

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1 reply
dianrib | @dianrib | Jun 18, 2018
In reply to @jakedduck1 "I was on the Benzodiazepine drug Klonopin for seizures and you have to get off them..." + (show)
@jakedduck1

I was on the Benzodiazepine drug Klonopin for seizures and you have to get off them slowly to avoid seizures. The doc said to cut it in quarters and take three quarters a week then half finally one quarter but it didn’t work so I cut that quarter in half and in half again etc till it was barely visible and finally it worked.
Effexor comes in both capsules and tablets but I believe the tablets are much more expensive (about $70 more, I think) so although not recommended taking the capsule apart and removing a tiny amount should do the trick. If money is no problem it would be easier to get the tabs and cut them.
I use to take the antidepressant Cymbalta and a UPS man delivered a package and we were talking and antidepressants came up. He said “You have a choice, to be happy or sad.” I thought about that for a few days and decided he was right and I decided to be happy and I was. I stopped my Cymbalta. It may not work for everyone but it sure is with the effort. Best of luck!!

Jump to this post

sorry for all the trouble U R having with these drugs.... I get weird dizzy headaches too which I never had before . . We all have differing experiences . NO one size fits all . Do not give up....

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