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Tips on minimizing withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)
Depression & Anxiety | Last Active: 5 days ago | Replies (6363)Comment receiving replies
Hi Everyone, not sure how to do a new post so I"m just replying to the original. I'm tapering off Effexor XR 375mg and am on week 2 of the process. I've only gone down 37.5 and havent had any physical side effects, thank god. For the emotional part - I have had anxiety almost every day of the taper. It's very rare that get anxiety any more. My concern is...is the anxiety from the withdrawal/taper or maybe I really do need the medication to help with the anxiety (i've been on it for many years, so didnt know if it was even working any more) and once the medicine is gone i will be back to where I was - symptom wise?? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!!!!! PS- i'm under the care of an experienced psychiatrist, but just wanted to hear thoughts from the people 🙂
Replies to "Hi Everyone, not sure how to do a new post so I"m just replying to the..."
You mentioned anxiety as you are withdrawing. I found that taking CBD Living Water, or CBD tincture (oil) relieved my anxiety when I was withdrawing from Tramadol 50 mg. If you can take medical Marijuana in your state, get a prescription and buy CBD tincture that has 1/4 THC in it. It takes between 15 minutes and 2 hours to feel the effects, it just depends on your metabolism. Just a suggestion.
@jamiejames
Your taper may be too much. The best advice on this site is to taper off slowly and to take as long as necessary to do it. Dropping 37.5 may be too big a drop too fast for you. Please read all the posts on this site for more information.
During my research, a writer pointed out that the doctors prescribing this stuff and helping you get off very rarely have ever taken the drug, or experienced withdrawal themselves and another writer (I think that one was a doctor) said in these situations (what you are feeling), the patient is rarely wrong.
"For some people, discontinuation symptoms can feel as if their depression or anxiety is coming back, and indeed, stopping your antidepressant may increase your risk of relapse. Because of this, it's important to distinguish between discontinuation syndrome and relapse. The biggest difference between the two is that discontinuation symptoms typically begin within a few days after stopping your antidepressant whereas a relapse normally takes longer to occur and the symptoms develop more gradually.
Another difference is that discontinuation syndrome often involves physical symptoms that aren't associated with depression or anxiety, such as dizziness, nausea, or flu-like symptoms. With discontinuation syndrome, the symptoms eventually go away, usually within one to three weeks, but if you're having a relapse of your depression or anxiety, the symptoms don't go away and may even get worse. Additionally, if you start an antidepressant again, discontinuation symptoms will resolve quickly, but depression or anxiety will take longer to respond."--https://www.verywellmind.com/tips-to-reduce-antidepressant-withdrawal-symptoms-1066835
I took Effexor for hot flashes because I could not take hormones to control them. I never had anxiety issues. Six weeks after slowly tapering off 25 mg, I began experiencing anxiety, fear, akasthisia, etc.,--all discontinuation effects. Effexor affects your brain and how your neurotransmitters work; it will take time for your brain and neurotransmitters to balance. Go as slow as you need to.
Do you get psychotherapy or just a med consult from the psychiatrist? If the psychiatrist knows you well (through psychotherapy) - they will be in a much better position to tell you what their thinking is about the anxiety and where you might be once the taper is over. If you have a therapist that you work with, they will consult with the psychiatrist. I have both - but I've worked with the same therapist for many years - and the psychiatrist is a med consult - but they happen to share an office and the psychiatrist does a fair amount of psychotherapy as well - not all do. If you've just been taking meds and haven't done psychotherapy (currently or in the past for a period of time) - it might be worth asking the psychiatrist what they recommend.
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@jamiejames
Welcome to Mayo Connect JamieJames. I'm a Volunteer Mentor and am not a medical professional. I can't make diagnosis or gives medical advice. I do offer my experience, knowledge, recommendations and support. I noticed this is your first post. You will find a wealth of information and support for your withdrawal process from others going through the same things you are. The people on this thread are amazing in their willingness to help each other through. Please continue to post your comments, needs, and issues to get responses from community members. Also, I recommend reviewing the older posts here as you may connect with someone who has specific information about what you are experiencing.
I encourage you to keep withdrawing and remember that each of us reacts differently to drugs and to withdrawal. Best of luck.