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Tips on minimizing withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)
Depression & Anxiety | Last Active: 3 hours ago | Replies (6421)Comment receiving replies
Hello Everyone. I've spent the last 2 hours reading over these comments. I googled "Tapering off Venlafaxine" and was blessed to find this feed. Thank you all for posting your comments and your personal experience.... every little bit helps.
I have been on Venlafaxine for around 10 years.
I went down from 75 mg to 37.5 mg. Been on this dose for a couple months and doing well with it.
Last week I have went from taking my 37.5 every 24 hours, to extending my dose to 36 hours... yesterday, I extended it to 48 hours between my 37.5 dose, and feeling very yucky.
This is where I'm getting caught up in the withdrawal symptoms....Flu-like symptoms...fatigue, body achiness, headache, and feeling sluggish...Insomnia, Nausea, Problems with balance such as dizziness, feeling lightheaded... irritability.
I'm going to call my Dr tomorrow to see if I can have a compounding pharmacy make me pills that are 1/2 of the 37.5 dose. Taking it 48 hours apart is not making me feel very good.
Any other recommendations?
Thanks in advance,
Lisa
Replies to "Hello Everyone. I've spent the last 2 hours reading over these comments. I googled "Tapering off..."
@lisa_v
Get a prescription from your doctor to take to the compounding pharmacy. Your doctor and you can decide how you wish to taper. I was told that the longer you taper down the more successful you will be.
Just to let you know that I first called my insurance company to see if they would agree to pay for the taper, as mine will end up costing just under 1,000 Canadian $. They sent me a letter giving permission and I took it to the pharmacy. They will reimburse me for the whole amount.
Wouldn’t it be best for you to come down slowly. The pharmacist suggested tapering no more than 10 mg and staying anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks on each one. Why suffer?
@lisa_v
Usually when a taper is too much, the recommendation is to go back to the dose where you didn't experience withdrawal symptoms and stay there for a while before attempting another taper--usually to not such a drastic drop. By increasing the amount of time between doses you were making a drastic taper. Using a compounding pharmacy to make smaller doses is a great option if available to you. You may want to consider asking for much less drastic tapers than 1/2 of 37.5 and waiting some weeks before dropping from 37.5mg.
OTC Dram*mine or Bon*ne will help with the dizziness and lightheadedness. The rest will probably disappear after taking one or two doses of Effexor at the 37.5mg dose and maintaining for a while.
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Lisa, Your post made me feel better. I don't feel so alone. I am down to 12mg a day and I am feeling horrible. I feel like I have the flu. I have extreme fatigue, achiness, nausea,headache, insomnia and balance issues too. I go down to 0 in a few days and wonder if I can handle it, honestly.