Tips on minimizing withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)

What you say is true..to a point. Drs necessarily rely only on what we as patients tell them at a given point and time. They rely entirely on this. Others who are around us have far more reflective value when they see changes on a daily basis.

Psychiatrists nowadays see you for 15 or so minutes and Hague how you are doing. I’ve seen this pattern to be true time and time again. Physicians, by contrast, are indeed trained in various aspects of medicine and with specialization to boot. Physicians are, however, making well educated guesses. I do not say this flippantly because I have family and friends that are well respected mds and would attest to this.

You will get physicians who disagree with each other all the time and misdiagnose all the time. I won’t bother to get into the vast history of this fact.

So if you take a specialist in psychiatry who sees you for 15 -30 min once every three months to Hague how you’re doing when you feel lucid,

and you take patients that may or may not have psychological services on the outside,

And you take other conditions that may or may not exist under the care of a general practitioner or multitude of specialists who generally don’t communicate with each other...

It becomes fairly obvious the patient is well advised to be a skeptic.

Patients may or may not have insurance and the sophistication to connect the dots, follow their own comprehensive progress and take charge of their health.

I have confirmed that insurance and pharmaceutical industries do have a significant impact on what medicines are used or not...again...personal family and friends who attest to wide spread practice of influence.

History, science, social interactions and pressures Demonstrate a constant evolution that is frequently not always in keeping with the Hippocratic oath. It is not enough to say it’s the best we have. It is more correct to say it is but a cog in a very complex wheel (a critical cog) that contributes to a whole.

The reasons I have listed are some of the modern realities patients face but they ARE realities.

I will acknowledge that the internet has led to a tidal wave of self diagnosing experts who cherry pick symptoms or rely solely on anecdotal evidence. This is how people have done for generations and that habit indeed has led to misery and tragedy for untold numbers...especially the desperately ill.

My point is this, blind faith in mds is a dangerous thing. Indeed, they are human and everything I described that goes with it. Patients (or their guardians) bear the responsibility to question medicine practitioners. It’s a multiple person effort.

Emotional blunting is the pits. One might as well be a cyborg.

I used to say it was preferable to emotional chaos and it probably is for bipolar patients like me. But it’s tough when you sit back and think...’I can’t remember the last time I really laughed...or felt love” I take lamictal and it helps moods. I think Effexor is the blunting tool that blocks emotion and also creativity. As I tapered off and continue to do so, those positive attributes are returning.

Glad you’re here, I was glad to find this place too. I think most psychiatrists would also urge psychological counseling. I resisted arrogantly for years until I finally gave in and went to a clinical social worker who uses cognitive based training. In less than a month I learned new skills and the self hating part of depression vanished. She said I learned unusually fast and it’s been many months since any such feelings have returned. So having those skills can hopefully offset symptoms.

Help with minimising withdrawal systems from effexor after 35 years

Hi, @shoshi - since you mentioned minimizing withdrawal symptoms from venlafaxine (Effexor), I've merged your post here so you can meet some of the members talking about that same topic, like @renwald @kbmayo @johnbedson @smurf @youngsally and many others. Hoping they will have some insights to share as you look at tapering off this medication.

I thought you might find this Mayo Clinic article about tapering off antidepressants useful: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/expert-answers/antidepressant-withdrawal/faq-20058133

It sounds as though you have taken this medication for 35 years. Is that correct? What does your doctor say about a plan for you to taper off of the venlafaxine (Effexor)?

If a psychiatrist is only seeing you for 15 minutes (particularly for an early meeting) try to find another psychiatrist. I had a friend who went to a psychiatrist on his wife's insistence. After 15 minutes the psychiatrist diagnosed him with ADD and sent him home with Adderall. He needs support (but probably not medication) - and now won't see anyone based on his crap experience.

My first visit with my psychiatrist was nearly 90 minutes - and it was simply to start the Effexor taper process and look at my meds overall. My second visit with her is Wednesday and will be 45-60 minutes. I was referred to my psychiatrist by my therapist.

Is there some place that can help get off this drug... Ive been tapering and withdrawing for months...i have every severe side effects except the death part. This suffering has to end at some point. How can they even allow this drug on the market? Its horrendously aweful

@jdemet
I have definitely read while researching and many times on this site that Effexor caused sweating. Oddly, at low dosages, it curtails sweating which is why many breast cancer patients who cannot take hormones are given Effexor when menopausal hot flashes start. (I was on 25mg for this very reason.)

In researching and on this site, I have also read about the "numbness" of feelings effect. This is cited many times as why someone wants off Effexor.

You are very fortunate to be working with a psychiatrist to get off Effexor. I have been unable to find one (I am in the DFW Metroplex!); I'd like to work with someone who has familiarity with these drugs and getting people on/off them. My oncologist has 35 years' experience and has put hundreds of women patients on Effexor, but I am the only one who has told him of having difficulties with Effexor withdrawal. He is working with me, but we're both newbies to this.

@mtcashel ,
The following was found at https://www.everydayhealth.com/drugs/effexor--
Common side effects of Effexor XR (venlafaxine) may include hot flashes, dizziness and/or drowsiness, tiredness, yawning, headaches, nausea, vomiting, gas, stomach pain, diarrhea, constipation, heartburn, burping, dry mouth, changes in taste, loss of appetite and weight loss, nightmares, muscle tightness, frequent urination, difficulty urinating, changes in sexual desire or ability, twitching, shaking of a part of the body, pain, burning numbness, or tingling in part of the body, sore throat, chills, or other signs of infection, ringing in the ears and enlarged pupils. Other side effects with Effexor include sinusitis (sinus inflammation), infection, flu-like syndrome, shortness of breath and cough.

Effexor has been associated with some more serious side effects, including seizures, an increased risk of bleeding, increased blood pressure and elevated cholesterol levels.

Venlafaxine can interact with other prescription, or nonprescription medications in ways that hinder its effectiveness, or bring on serious side effects. So, if you develop a condition that requires a medication that doesn't work well with Effexor, you'd probably have to come off (perhaps in a hurry).

Venlafaxine may cause harm to a developing fetus. Newborns whose mothers took venlafaxine in the last three months of pregnancy were reported to experience feeding and breathing problems, and seizures, shakes, jitters, and constant crying immediately following delivery. For women who take antidepressants in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, there is a risk that the baby can be born prematurely, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Like many other antidepressants, use of venlafaxine has been associated with weight gain. Weight gain caused by venlafaxine may be due to fluid retention, lack of exercise, increased appetite, or other factors.

A common side effect is blurred vision, occurring in up to 6 percent of patients taking the medication. Those with glaucoma, or high risk of developing glaucoma should be monitored carefully.

Most SNRIs, including Effexor, can cause sexual side effects, such as delayed orgasm, reduced libido, and erectile dysfunction.

Some folks (not just older ones) are also concerned that they are experiencing short- and long-term memory issues. Patients taking Effexor should contact their health care provider right away for any memory loss. Memory loss may be a sign of a potentially serious side effect called hyponatremia (low blood sodium). Other symptoms of hyponatremia include headache, difficulty concentrating, confusion, weakness, and unsteadiness.

Dry mouth is a side effect of Effexor. This can be very detrimental to your dental health as you may develop cavities easily and other issues.

According to Lexi-Comp, the dosage of Effexor (venlafaxine) should be reduced in patients that have mild to moderate liver disease. Liver problems occur rarely in patients taking Effexor. Fatty liver, hepatic necrosis, hepatic failure and hepatitis have been reported in less than 1% of studied patients taking Effexor.

Intestinal obstruction is listed as a rare side effect in people taking the medication.

I read elsewhere something about increase in fractures in older people and loss of bone calcium.

Despite all this, if you are not really having any issues with Effexor, are in good health, possible pregnancy is not an issue and you can afford to pay for the drug (if you lose your insurance, or it quits covering this drug), you might want to stay on Effexor. I wasn't having any problems with my 25mg dose of Effexor (although the hot flashes were long gone), it only cost $25 for a six-month supply and I very rarely missed, or forgot a dose. If I had known I would develop akathisia even with a slow tapering, I think I would have left well enough alone and stayed on Effexor.