@contentandwell- Yes, it's very common with other anti-depressants. In affect anti-depressants change the chemical composition of your brain, either trying to stop a certain action or enhancing it. Over a span of time it is essentially your new brain composition, akin to prednisone. Your brain tries to maintain homeostasis and in affect fights the change. This is way over a simplification. I'm not a chemist.

In my experience, only venlafaxine is this bad.

I've been on many other antidepressants and never had this bad a time. Bad side effects with sertraline (tinnitus, horrible diarrhea, and lactation in a MAN (it is very rare but some antidepressants can cause lactation in anyone of any sex) ), but not a withdrawal anything like this.

Funny thing is that I had taken venlafaxine before but it was replaced with something else. I can't remember what. But the first time I took it, many years ago, I didn't have a problem quitting after it had stopped working and I was on the max dose. I on maybe buproprion at the same time, and switched to something else and that was that.