Tips on minimizing withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)

It's great to know that you're in this together!! Thanks for letting me know!

I think it is likely the wean. Last night, my husband was cranky because we were ordering food for dinner and did so later than we should have. He was hungry. He snapped at me and immediately my ire rose and I yelled at him.

When I was weaning from 75mg to 37.5mg I had it happen a few times at work as well.

In all cases, annoyance, frustration or even anger were appropriate responses, but, for me, it manifest as an immediate rage.

I am on Effexor for anxiety not depression. That kind of rage is new to me. Not to say that I’ve never felt rage. Just not with the immediacy and intensity that I have been feeling lately. The pattern is unmistakable. I truly believe it is a symptom of the drug withdrawal.

My doctor and I discussed getting off Effexor after being on it for 20 years. Before that, I had tried Paxil, Zoloft and Prozac. My dosage is light...37.5, but I am very sensitive to it, as has been the case with all antidepressants I’ve tried. Case in point, 5 mg of Paxil put me in the hospital. I’m getting off Effexor with the help of Wellbutrin (doctor prescribed). I’ve continued Effexor with 50mg of Wellbutrin but now take 100mg of Wellbutrin daily and Effexor every other day. I’ve had some of the brain swishiness (zaps) but nothing unbearable. Today is the first day I’ve gone beyond the every other day regimen with Effexor, and the withdrawal symptoms are no worse. My mood is still ok and I’ll see how it goes. If nothing changes today, I’ll try another day tomorrow without Effexor. I’ll continue with the 100 mg of Wellbutrin, which clearly has helped reduce Effexor withdrawal. By the way, sexual dysfunction has also been reduced over the past several days.

@rmeyers1ppk yes. sex is definitely better once off Effexor.

It's hard to imagine that the hippy generation is complaining about sex overload. I've been on Effexor perhaps 15 years, haven't had an overload. Can't even remember.

Thanks, @kbmayo! I appreciate the encouragement. I'm aware that I've come off the drug much faster than I should have. But I can't imagine having to go through these symptoms over months. Going from 75mg to 37.5mg was extremely painful! I'd rather rip off the band-aid and get it done.

I'm finding that I'm doing better today though! It has been 6 days since I last took 37.5mg of Effexor. I'm still feeling perpetually anxious, which is certainly unpleasant. But I haven't had any brain zaps this morning (or few, I just got one while re-reading this post). I did some weight-lifting this morning and a bit of cardio, which I think may have helped.

I'm also cleaning up my diet and I've been eating way too much sugar which just aggravates the anxiety - and the anger. And drinking tea and going to bed an hour earlier than usual.

Here is the fascinating part - I'm finding that because I'm in a constant state of exhibiting the physical symptoms of anxiety and rage (elevated heart rate, sweating, shaking, difficulty concentrating), my brain cannot properly interpret how I am actually feeling. Am I ACTUALLY anxious or angry or is it just withdrawal? My husband and I were talking about how working on self-regulating in such a heightened physical state is extremely difficult (almost impossible) but also great practice for when the physical symptoms abate and I'm back to normal. I'm not sure that I'm expressing this well...

On the one hand, I can't trust my own understanding of how I'm feeling right now because I'm so out of whack. On the other hand, I really have to flex my self-regulatory muscles to get through it with any dignity, which I think might make me "stronger" or rather better equipped to manage my emotions when I'm through. At the very least, I'm trying to frame the experience in that more positive and productive light while I'm in the thick of it. 🙂

One weird thing that I wanted to mention to see if anyone else experienced this: I developed a boil on my inner thigh and there is another one forming on the inside of my upper arm. At first, I thought I had skin cancer! Has anyone else experienced this as a possible symptom of weaning from Effexor? I ask because I have never had a boil before in my life until weaning - and now I have two! I also have psoriasis which seems to be a risk factor. I'm really hoping this is just another symptom that will disappear as I get through this.

Oh! And last question, does anyone have any strategies for minimizing the organ squishing feeling? I feel like my stomach/spleen/gallbladder(?) are periodically spasming and it hurts. Not for long, quite literally like someone is giving it a quick squeeze. It's on the right side primarily. Any advice would be appreciated.

For context, I'm taking Vitamin D3 x 1000mg a day, a tsp of fish oils, a whole food diet of mainly vegetables, fruit, kefir and whole grains, meat twice a week. I walk to and from work (30 minutes each way) and I'm now incorporating in some strength training. I'm a runner as well, but I hurt my knee running a half marathon at the end September and haven't fully recovered, so I haven't been running. As a consequence, I have put on 10 lbs. I'm 5"6 and 140 lbs.

Thanks!

In reply to the topic of sex, I have had zero libido the entire time I have been on Effexor. And when my husband and I were intimate, I could not orgasm. I am VERY happy to share that already that is no longer an issue. Sex may also be a helpful addition to my weaning regimen. What a great release!

@proserpine
I've never had a libido problem while on Effexor.

Hi, Im not sure what you mean about sex overload. I am of the hippie generation, but never participated in the "free love" mantra of the day. I don't participate now, either. I am now single, never even have a date. The events I described in my post were horrific and painful.

I'm really lost and trying to get myself off venlafaxine. My psychiatrist did not care about me at all - he worried about me getting addicted to 0.5mg of loratadine and then prescribed me venlafaxine! With zero mention of how addictive it is. For other reasons, I fired him a little while ago. A few weeks or like 2 months. I'm not very good with time.

How can I get myself off it? My PCP is ignoring the pharmacy (for over a week) and all I have is about 60 of 75mg tablets. I'm lying in bed now, dizzy and feel horrible. I was on a dose of 150+37.5 when I stopped seeing my psychiatrist. Currently, I'm down to 75mg a day, last taken a bit less than 24 hours ago. I have to do this on my own because my doctor doesn't care either. I'm one of thousands of people who use the health care center and I'm not worth the time apparently. My doc didn't even bother to follow up on diarrhea that left me seriously dehydrated - just tried to pin it on depression instead of treating me. Ordered tests and then no one gave me instructions and didn't do all the tests. Never did find out what caused it and thankfully after nearly a month straight and some antibiotics 'just in case', it went away. Of course, they did have time to file the paperwork to bill me for it.

I would get a new doctor but I can't even pay the bills I owe - $150 per appt to not help me.

I live alone and have no family. I have to do everything myself and there's no one to rescue me from being homeless again. I'm a transsexual so my options for any medical care (or employment, housing, people treating me like a human being) are very very limited, and I've been in treatment for over a decade despite not turning 30 yet. But I get told I'm too young to possibly be depressed, until the assumer asks me about my past and then I always get the same shocked look.

Does anyone have any advice on how I can stop feeling so horrible? I can't get a new rx, I have no support except my cat, and I just don't see any point in trying anymore but I am not quite ready to completely give up. If I was, I'd not be writing this. I have a degree in psychology (not that it's helped me any) so I can understand technical advice.