I am on Effexor. First was 75 mg. Now 150 mg. I have not heard any horror stories. I seem to tolerate it well no real side effects. I take it for depression. Weaning off it is exactly what your doing lowering the dose. Are you trying to get off antidepressants entirely or only Effexor? If I miss a day I do not experience any of the symptoms you have. Could you try a different antidepressant while weaning off the low dose of Effexor?

After over 20 years, I stopped cold at 37.5 having realizing it was amplifying my depression, not relieving it. The withdrawal symptoms were miserable, but I rode them out. The first two weeks were the worst, then they slowly diminished and after about a month they had mostly resolved. Then I had a few months of being more emotional than normal (tears welling up mostly), but this was good in that a lot of dulled emotions that the drug had denied me returned. Best medical decision of my life. Under no circumstances would I resume use of it.

I've been on all kinds of antidepressants in the last few decades and getting off Effexor is by far the most difficult. I'm back on it now because it seems to be the only thing that works (for awhile) and I'm trying not to dread the inevitable poop-out and discontinuation.

When I got to the lowest dose (37.5), I also couldn't just stop taking it without getting awful withdrawals. I bought some empty medication capsules and made my own lower-dose Effexor. At first I would open up an Effexor capsule and pour the contents into 2 empty capsules. Then, a few weeks later, I'd open up an Effexor capsule and split it 3 ways. Etc. I eyeballed it but I think I've read (maybe here?) about people using tweezers to count out the little pellets inside the capsules to be more precise.

The step from the lowest dose to zero is HUGE and unless people have experienced it, they really don't understand how awful it can be. At some point I will have to go off Effexor again and I'll use the empty capsule method for sure. Hope this helps!

Thank you for sharing your experience. I wonder if it would have been any different if you had stopped at 37.5. I'm willing to do what you did if it will make it any easier. My doc said using 5htp every few days in place of Effexor and gradually going to every other day, then stopping works for some people. Thanks again. I hope you never have to go through this again.

I hope so too! This thread has lots of good info: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/as-promised-my-successful-tapering-off-effexor-venlafaxine/

This is an eye opener for me. I know some antidepressants have unpleasant side effects. Most meds do. But to have withdrawals after taking this for a while seems to be contrary to the benefits of taking this med. I mean dealing with depression is hard but also dealing with Effexor withdrawal makes it even more difficult to manage your moods your health everything.

I am weighing the beads in the capsules with a mg scale I bought, then making new capsules with the smaller dose(mg). It's as accurate as I can be. It also preserves the extended release quality, as opposed to switching to immediate release and cutting pills.

Doctors and pharmaceutical companies seem to have no accountability. That needs to change. Laws should be passed to insure patients are fully informed regarding any and all drugs prescribed.

The way I got off 25 years of 150mg Effexor (venlafaxine) was:
Cold turkey. No! Had a long, terrible experience.
Started again at 75mg.
Once I had stabilised, bought a 4-weekly pill dispenser and a pack of empty capsules.
There are 6 little white pills inside a 75 mg venlafaxine SR capsule.
Set one pill aside for the first 10 days, leaving 5 little pills in each capsule, thus reducing from 6 to 5. (used the original capsule). Marked the dispenser on the day I reduced the dose. Very easy to forget.
Set two pills aside for the next 10 days, leaving 4 little pills in each capsule, thus reducing from 5 to 4. Marked dispenser on the day I reduced the dose.
Then set three pills aside for the next 10 days, leaving 3 little pills in each capsule. Marked the dispenser.
Then set four pills aside, leaving 2 pills and got a strong reaction. Google said, talk to your doctor, but he didn't have a clue. Fortunately a student doctor explained ratios and fractions in stepping down from 3 to 2, instead of the gap between 4 to 3, so I went back to 3 little pills for 10 days, and stabilised, followed by 2 1/2 for 10 days, then 2, then 1 1/2, then 1, then 1/2, (when I needed to use the empty capsules) then an approximation of 1/4, manipulated with eyebrow tweezers, followed by crumbs and kept on at that for a couple of weeks until I decided that this was silly, so I stopped. Clean!
I'm posting this because, back then, I really needed to know it was possible to stop, and found nothing. It is possible. I've done it.

This is good to hear; that you finally got off of it. I’ve been on 112.5 for 7 weeks now and still don’t feel ready to drop again. Anxiety and trembling legs have improved but my FATIGUE is awful. Did anyone else have terrible fatigue with their withdrawal?
I’m decreasing by using the Dr Horowitz way. Going on compounded formula. Has anyone tried going from XR formula to regular tablet 2 x a day? Like going from 112.5 to 100?