Tips on minimizing withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)

@summertime4 You will get there. If I had not survived the brutal neurontin withdrawal I wouldn't be so sure, but I know that there will definitely be an end to the symptoms. Life will be better, of course, we still have to deal with our original issues and most likely the medical problems that have come along with normal aging, as well as the possibility of ones that have developed from being on the medications themselves, but there will be relief.

@sandij
Hi Sandi,
I was on the max dose of Neurontin 3,600mg and although I’m familiar with how linear and non-linear drugs work I didn’t know that Neurontin was
non-linear. Thanks for enlightening me. I had no problems at all stopping Neurontin. Amazing how different people react to different meds. When I took another seizure med, Dilantin, also a non linear drug it was always either toxic or below the therapeutic levels, weird!!!
Jake

@shaker1956 -Hi shaker- Just wanted to drop you a line and say I hope things are going well with you. It was so lovely to hear that
you have such a terrific supporter in your wife- I am sure that makes things a lot easier to cope with! I wanted to wish you and your family ( and all our Connect friends) a happy holiday season and if you celebrate it- a very merry Christmas - and a heathy Happy New Year! I know you must be counting the days until that new Grand baby arrives-will it be the first one?
Best wishes
Ainsleigh

@merpreb
Hi Merry,
For example linear drugs, if you increase your dose by 100mg the amount of medication in your blood (therapeutic level) will increase proportionately to your regular and/or increased dose.

In a non-linear drug like Neurontin, Dilantin, Tegratol all seizure meds since that’s what I’m most familiar with. If you increase the dose amount of medication in your blood (therapeutic level) can actually increase or decrease. For example, when I was taking Dilantin the therapeutic level is 10-20 yet regardless of my dose my therapeutic level would either be toxic (usually above 30) or below 10. I had to switch my medication because the doctor regardless what he did could not get the Dilantin to stabilize between 10-20. Non linear meds need watched closely.
That is a simplistic overview but it’s much more involved than that. Many more factors are involved.
Jake

I would think all the drugs that affect the brain and CNS are subject to causing waves and windows. There is a video that describes how each one of our systems "shuts down" for repair as our body recovers from antidepressants, I will link it when I have been here long enough to be allowed to post links.

@jakedduck1 I am so glad you had no problems discontinuing neurontin! That experience was so bad for me, I was close to being suicidal. It gave me more compassion for what others go through during withdrawal from any drug, be it legal or not.

@sandij
Hi Sandi,
Thank you.
Some people have no problems at all getting of EFfexor and other meds while others suffer unmercifully, odd.
Health & happiness always,
Jake

All- Please check this out: https://cbdoilreview.org/cbd-cannabidiol/endocannabinoid-natural-production/
I think that the reason that a lot of us tolerate and benefit from CBD oil is because we produce cannabinoids in our own bodies too- so it's really "natural"
I take Wellbutrin and Zoloft and when needed 10mg of CBD oil. I'm still messing around with dosages.

Morning all,
I was prescribed venlaflaxin @ 300mg probably around 4 years ago. This after many years off and on of many different forms of SSRI's before moving on "The last resort" pharma speaking of the Venlaflaxin. On the upside, it did what it was supposed to, and being no stranger to side effects, I made do.
I am in recovery also for alcohol and some other substances, so it helped. It also didn't.
One of the many sayings in AA/NA/CA is that "one of the good things about sobriety is you get your feelings back" and "one of the bad things is you get your feelings back" With me & Venlaflaxin I didn't get those feelings.
What I experienced was apathy. Utter lack of interest in anything that could illicit any sort of joy. "Fun" was a word I disdained. Instead I engaged in some compulsive behaviour, whether that was cleaning, shopping etc etc. Sitting still and "being" was a hard task , practically impossible.
Of course, everyones response to this stuff is very personal, and underlying issues mixed with a med will illicit a different response.
So, here I am 2 days after completely stopping VNLFN, tapering down one dose (37.5mg) a month from the initial 300. The usual suspects have popped up, brain delay, disturbed sleep, waves of I don't know what going through the old noggin and very, very emotional.
I mean I can briefly think about something , and bingo, tears. A bit inconvenient when your sitting on a beach in Costa Rica, thankfully a pretty deserted beach.
I am grateful for those tears though, I can feel something again, even though it does feel a bit like the Jin has been let out of his bottle. I would rather that than the feeling of being one part removed from a robot vacuum cleaner. Just don't approach me with pictures of puppy's for the time being.

@dickygray glad you're here!