Tips on minimizing withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)

I have read through about a year's worth of this thread and now I figure I would just post my question. I am 49, a married mom of 2 with multiple Sclerosis. Due to anxiety and an almost chronic depression I have been on and off of antidepressants most of my adult life. I was misdiagnosed several times with other disorders until I was ultimately diagnosed with MS at 32, and having correct information, doctor's, and strategies helped so much in relieving the anxiety I had been feeling for so long. Struggling, though, as a mom to young girls, I decided to try tapering off of the effexor. I was on 225 mg, and although we did taper in a way I believed was slow, the 'brain zaps', anxiety, and other problems were horrible, but then, I really do not know, to this day, what happened. Piecing it together later, we determined that going off of the effexor had caused me to experience a so-called rebound reaction which decimated my short-term memory, amongst other things. My daughters and my husband were all very scared, they did not know what was going on, and had no idea how to help. All along, I believed I was just fine, not even realizing there was a problem. My mother told me later about several instances where I would repeat the same question to her 3 or 4 times in the same conversation, even after having been given the answer, and have no memory of it. Scary time for them. I wasn't really scared until they finally got me to my neuro and I was sitting there, listening to them all, telling the doctor what it had been like for us. I still cannot remember much of that time. Needless to say, I was immediately put back on to the effexor, and as I adjusted to the higher doses again, the short term memory came back, and we decided that until both of my children were out of school, we would not try to come off again. It was a very hard, very dark time, and I felt ( and still do ) really badly over the whole situation. I did follow my doctor's instructions about how to come off of the drug, but obviously something did not go right. Now that my youngest is in college, I am considering again trying to get off of this drug. My weight has ballooned higher than it has ever been, causing more challenges for me in dealing with my MS. Does anyone have a strategy or suggestion for me to consider? I do not want to go through anything like that again, nor do I want to put my family through it.

@cristin Thanks so much for sharing I went thru the same weirdness for the last four months from coming down to 30mgs om Cymbalta I am scared to death to go off completely but I will one day. I cannot explain this crap but I believe both drugs should be banned For Real. I still stay in the house Don't work Don't drive and it makes me crazy because I am hanging about my finances. Bless you, in your decisions.

@leross21 Thanks for your post. I am going through a similar journey as yours. I was on 150mg for two years. In last 4 months reduced it from 150 to 75, 37.5 and now I want to go down to 18.25mg. Can you tell when you stopped taking 18.25mg and describe the withdrawal process after that?

Hi all. Thank you so much for helping and caring about others here. It feels good when you realize that you are not alone in this process and many people understand its pain and offer their help and support.
I have a question regarding to cutting down 37.2 to 18.25. This is how this devil looks like! Can I cut this (I mean the white internal part) in half and take it or shall it be taken with its plastic capsules?

Here's my one data point for trying the 'dissolve in juice' method: the XR version that is filled with minuscule pellets does not readily dissolve in orange juice. Mild agitation didn't help. I ended up using a syringe to carefully suck up the pellets and deposit the desired amount into a graduated shot glass and then made sure I had the amount of juice needed. I will be taking the second third tomorrow morning. Perhaps by then it will have dissolved.

I'm splitting one 37.5mg capsule into three doses since I miscounted how many I had and have an appointment to get refills the day after tomorrow. I figure taking a third each day is better than taking one today and none tomorrow and taking my Friday dose early in the evening once I get the refill.

Just my one data point regarding the solubility of this in a mild acid water-based solution. It goes to show that it has resistance to dissolving immediately, which makes sense given that it is the extended release. I suspect that the dissolve in juice method was made for the original, non-extended version.

No withdrawal symptoms yet but I am within the time frame of yesterday's dose waning. Will report back if I remember on the severity of withdrawal. Hopefully will be none.

Which manufacturer is that? Mine is full of tiny pellets and I've never seen that before. Is that the name brand?

My guess is that you should shove it into a capsule. Just because it might be a bit sharp from being cut. Some pills keep a hard edge. (nothing is quite as stupid feeling as getting a cut in the throat from a sharp pill - it happened to me when cutting a different med in half)

I can't disagree with you at all. I really don't want to go off of this med again, but I want to be off of it at the same time! I have never taken cymbalta, but if it is anything like effexor in withdrawal problems, good luck!

To me brain zaps/shivers feel like your brain is in a blender. I even get them while sleeping and they wake me up. I went from 150 mg to 75 and am now on 37.5, split in half, taking one am and one pm. Afraid to take the next step, but I hate this drug.

@cristin1
Hello from Bright Wings. I had noticed the date a few days ago and thought, I took my last Effexor one year ago.
I too have MS.
Its been a wild and crazy yyear but I have things figured out for now and am really enjoying life.
If you click on my name I think it takes you to all my posts, so you can read up on my first posts. If you choose too anyways.
Forgive the typos, using my phone. Hard to make corrections. I'll gget my computer hooked up later.
My hands must be shaking from the cold. So I am typing extra letters.
Listen, getting off them with support from so many here was the best thing I have done for myself. It is not easy but worth it.
I am so interested in what others are doing... Smiling at you, Bright Wings

Thank you for being here, looking forward to hearing your success story!