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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johnbedson | @johnbedson | Sep 23, 2018

In reply to @smurf "Taking Prozac did NOT help me when I was tapering whatsoever" + (show)

I'm sorry to hear that. Did you find anything that helped?

youngsally | @youngsally | Sep 24, 2018

In reply to @mtcashel "I have a question regarding long term use of Effexor. I started a different Seritonan uptake..." + (show)

ER will be a capsule -- the non extended release are tablets you can split. Your experience of missing a couple of days is very consistent with what I've had over the years - especially the weird dreams...the nausea, etc can also happen.

I don't believe there is any particular correlation between dosage and the magnitude or duration of withdrawal symptoms....I didn't really have any symptoms until I got down to 37.5mg (from 150mg - both in the ER form) and then those symptoms were worse once I tapered to zero after about 3 weeks at 37.5. My taper was supposed to happen more quickly - but I chose to slow it down because of the withdrawal symptoms and my difficulty getting work done.

Can't offer you any advice on your concerns over SAD in the winter and a taper....SAD has never been part of my pathology. However, re; being past menopause -- one can still have menopause like symptoms years after menopause officially occurs....it's like post-perimenopause...but my guess is any menopause-like symptoms will be less frequent and intense.

There's probably no downside to taking the pills indefinitely - but that is a question for your physician. Although I recently read that there is potentially a correlation between SNRIs (Effexor, Cymbalta) and glaucoma risk. This came up when my ophthalmologist decided to watch me more closely for glaucoma. I've been suspect for decades because of my anatomy - so it will be interesting to see what if any changes he sees after I've been off Effexor for 6 months...but I think the data is pretty spotty at this point - and it wouldn't change whether or not he would start treatment.

youngsally | @youngsally | Sep 24, 2018

In reply to @kbmayo "According to the books I've read, the clinical trials that didn't produce the results were withheld..." + (show)

Don't disagree with you at all. There is clearly a way to get approval....and some companies are better than others. I've been aware of a researcher at Columbia who for years has asserted that the SSRIs are basically no better than placebo for many people. And you are definitely right in your interpretation of the rule changes....although economics play into it as well. Before we got to the say, late 80s, pharma companies were generally guaranteed a decent return on investment for drugs that could get approval. But then the model shifted towards seeking approval for drugs that weren't significantly better than currently available drugs - hence why there are a billion different types of SSRIs/SNRIs (and the same in other classes) -- It's been a long time since the pharma industry came up with a revolutionary drug class that many people would take for long periods of time....Most of the SSRIs/SNRIs are off patent now -- so other than a few companies trying to milk this class with new products - the pharma companies seem to be focused on getting people to take atypical antidepressants along with their SSRIs for "treatment resistant" depression/anxiety. Now there are certainly some people who will benefit from the atypicals -- but those do have well documented side effects - particularly in terms of cardiovascular (high cholesterol) and if memory serves, diabetic risk as well.

shoshi | @shoshi | Sep 24, 2018

In reply to @coloradogirl "So, I just finished this process with Zoloft (sertraline) and here are some things that worked..." + (show)

@coloradogirl

So, I just finished this process with Zoloft (sertraline) and here are some things that worked for me. Your mileage may vary, but hopefully these are low risk for you to try.

1) You may need to ask your doctor for a slower tapering program than other patients. Some people are just more sensitive to dosage changes. Be aware that symptoms will get better, then may reappear each time you taper. AAFMA (practice group of family physicians) says that the symptoms typically last 1-2 weeks and as long as 4 weeks, so I just kept reminding myself that it was temporary.
2) Be watchful for things that make your symptoms worse. For example, caffeine seems to trigger the brain zaps for me (still, even after being off for several weeks), so I cut back my caffeine intake. I didn't give it up completely (because I still need to function), but cut back on how much real coffee I was drinking, mixed decaf with regular, and switched to tea sometimes. In the end, I probably cut my daily caffeine intake in half, and it did help quite a lot.
3) Ibuprofen or other pain reliever can help with the flu-like body aches.
4) Benadryl helped with the brain zaps.
5) Exercise helped with both. Even if I wasn't up to a run, a few blocks of walking would settle down the symptoms for a while at least. (Then, when they come back, just take another walk. We took a lot of walks for a while there).
6) Get enough sleep. As I came down off the meds, my normal sleeping patterns returned, which was great, but it did mean that I needed to plan time to let my body rest.
7) Pay attention to your diet. Your brain uses carbs to make seratonin, so now is not the time to go on the Atkins diet. Eat well and make sure you're getting enough healthy carbs. You may crave sweets; I certainly did. I tried to counteract this by having bananas, graham crackers, and other healthy things I could snack on instead of sticking my head in a birthday cake like I seemed to want.

No lie - it's a painful process, but this did really help make it easier. Also, at a certain point, when I was down the below the normal starter dose, I just ripped off the bandaid and went to zero. At that point, it felt like each taper was just prolonging the suffering. Don't just go cold turkey from your current dose, though, as that can be dangerous. Also, don't add any supplements or substitutes for the SSRI without talking to your doctor first (also dangerous).

And of course, watch for the return of depression / anxiety type symptoms. For a while it was hard to tell whether I was tired because of the change in meds or because my depression was returning. I figured as long as I felt okay enough to function and wasn't thinking about being harmful to myself or anyone else, I could play it out and see. It turned out to be the meds and on the other side, I can see that I was more worried about it than I needed to be.

I wish you the best of luck and a healthy life.

Mardee

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Hello Mardi. Thank you so much for your advice. I have been taking effexor 150mgs for approx. 35 years and I am currently down to 375mgs, after three months. Struggling with headache's, nausea, anxiety, irritability, fever's, chills, short term memory loss; the list goes on ! Have only just told my adult son what I am going through (I had not told him that I suffer from depression ) Have kept this as a secret from everyone, as there is still a negative stigma attached to this issue in Australia. I have found that hard exercise helps me greatly. I find it difficult to be around people, and get agitated easily. I am really determined to succeed and found your advice very beneficial.many thanks Shoshi x

nstorey | @nstorey | Sep 24, 2018

Hi All! Do these withdrawal symptoms ever go away?? I am so miserable. 🙁

jdemet | @jdemet | Sep 24, 2018

Hello! I am not sure how to post so I’m just replying. First I’d like to say YAY!!!!! I am so excited to find people that know what being on Effexor is like!!! I have been on and off Effexor for 20 years now, each other time I got off I was only on a max dose of 150mg. This time I’m on 225mg for the past 2 1/2 years. I appreciate all of your input/ sharing of experiences!!!
My question is this, in your experience have you found this med to cause sudden onset of sweating? And have you found it to numb you? I know it keeps you from going down but I feel like it keeps me from going up too. Thus the wanting to get off, I am working with a psychiatrist but prefer first hand experience even though I do realize everyone is different. Thank you for your time!
Jo

renwald | @renwald | Sep 24, 2018

In reply to @danalee5 "@kaykay22 Your doctor and family members are mistaken. You can find more information in the book..." + (show)

Good to know! Thanks

renwald | @renwald | Sep 24, 2018

In reply to @kbmayo "According to the books I've read, the clinical trials that didn't produce the results were withheld..." + (show)

This doesn’t surprise me.

youngsally | @youngsally | Sep 24, 2018

In reply to @jdemet "Hello! I am not sure how to post so I’m just replying. First I’d like to..." + (show)

15 years at 150mg (extended release)....but completely off for nearly 10 days on a 4-5 week taper. Sweating when I tapered - YUP (I think I bought most of the icepacks on Amazon)..... I usually get some facial numbing going up or down on the drug - but I suspect you may be speaking about emotional blunting. In that case, Effexor can mellow the top end (I've had experiences of feeling really good and productive when I've cut my dose for a few days to try and reboot the drug at my old dose)....but that's not it's primary function....and the emotional blunting is something I believe gets reported for all the SSRIs.