Tips on minimizing withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)

@mdw123
Hey there,
Glad to hear your lowering your dosage slowly. What dose were you on and how much are you taking now.
Good luck,
Jake

I posted this info back on 8/31, but might be helpful to mention again. I have no affiliation with this group, nor have I tried the kit. May only be of use to those in the Netherlands.

Effexor tapering kit (New Scientist 7/7/17)
To help people taper their dose more easily, a Dutch medical charity, called Cinderella Therapeutics,together with Maastricht University creates personalised "tapering kits,” with precisely weighed out tablets in labelled packets that gradually reduce over several months. The website recommends people do this under medical supervision and must first receive a doctor’s prescription.

The charity has been sending out such kits since 2014, distributing around 2,000 tapering kits for 24 different medications so far. Most of these were for people in the Netherlands, but a few kits have been sent to other countries, including the UK.
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2140106-people-are-hacking-antidepressant-doses-to-avoid-withdrawal/
https://www.cinderella-tx.org/en/
http://www.taperingstrip.org/

@jakedduck1
Leonard,
Thank you! I am a little concerned about the amount I am cutting back, too. Perhaps I better add back 1/4.
Thanks again!
Ronnie

To @jaev69. I have experienced withdrawal from Venlafaxine, though I was on it only for 3 weeks, 75 mg. for 2 weeks, and 150 mg for one week. It was by far the most horrible experience of my life. Taking Venlafaxine sharply increased my anxiety. I became so restless that I could not even sit down calmly. When I told my psychiatrist about this, he told me it was only a passing phase and I would be OK in a few days. And instead of stopping the Venlafaxine, he increased the dosage to 150 mg! Then my condition became so bad that I told him I was stopping Venlafaxine against his advice. I had become suicidal, and would have committed suicide if I had not taken matters into my own hands. I stopped Venlafaxine Cold Turkey. But the next two weeks were horrible. I suffered severe anxiety and suicidal thoughts. Finally, after two weeks my condition started improving gradually. That was more than four years ago. Today I am fine on a cocktail of drugs.

Since you have taken Venlafaxine 75 mg for around 10 years and 150 mg for 6 months, and you want to stop taking it, please make sure that the taper is very very slow, over a period of many weeks or months. Please don't stop Cold Turkey, otherwise, your experience may be worse than mine, which was unbearably bad. It might endanger your life. If possible, please do your taper under the supervision of a good psychiatrist, who understands Venlafaxine. Mine didn't, and so I almost reached the brink. Hope this helps. God bless you.

@nanke99 - I totally agree with you. I saw a compounding pharmacist and have been tapering 10mg every 4 weeks. I’m now at 70mg. and for some unknown reason, the pharmacy has made a change from tapering every 4 weeks to every 2 weeks).

I now have anxiety and need to take Lorazepam (about 1 to 2 mg each evening). Did you suffer from anxiety while you were weaning off? Could the anxiety have started because it’s too fast a taper for me?

I have tried bringing my husband, along with my closest friend, who did most of the talking and had done a lot of research on benzos, he talked to her because I was an emotional mess! That is when he put me on a dose I could handle but only for 2 months then back to tapering!

@Sabrina Sounds like cause = effect to me. I'm not sure why the pharmacy is driving your taper instead of you--you're the one feeling the effects! When a taper is too fast (and withdrawal symptoms showing up is definitely a sign), the recommendation is to go back to the dose where you were feeling fine and stay there for a while (weeks, months, whatever) before attempting to taper again to not so quite a reduced dose. Slower is better and more likely to lead to successful cessation of Effexor.

@texasduchess I feel you’re right. I called them and told them to put me back on the previous dose for another two weeks. Thank you.

please I need your help I was on Effexor for almost 9 years and get out of it 3 months ago now everything I suffered of 9 years ago return stronger with horrible thought I am hopeless, I am now back on Effexor I really need to ask you many things please I need answer is this gonna work again??
I am fighting now almost two weeks back on 75mg and I feel days getting better and days get worse can anyone share experience of relapse and if am taking the right decision back on Effexor because it worked for me perfect and cured me last years, I am afraid am going back from square one sense I started the medicine 9 years ago
I really need your experience people

@drtrust84
Several years ago, I started to wean of the Effexor on the advice of my PCP. I wasn't long into the weaning process when my symptoms came back full force. I tried to get back on them without success.
I went to a psychiatrist to manage my meds (other than my PCP). She told me that once you get off or wean to a degree, you cannot go back on for 6 months. It's been a while so I cannot tell you the reason why. The psychiatrist tried a couple of different of meds but non worked as well as the Effexor.
After 6 months I asked to go back onto the Effexor. I did. Although the Effexor worked better than any oth the others, it never worked as well as it did before.
I am now starting to wean myself off of it again. This time, I am doing it VERY, VERY slowly (no matter how long it takes). I am not looking to come off, I am looking to reduce a lot.
Good luck!
Ronnie (GRANDMAr)