Tips on minimizing withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)

A quick add: I know Wellbutrin isn't ordinarily prescribed for anxiety; my doctor is prescribing it for my depression, but it can alleviate anxiety, too -- which I'm hoping for! I can't take SSRIs -- they make me feel like I'm coming out of my skin -- which is why my psychiatrist prescribed an SNRI. Effexor was very new when I started taking it.

@kbmayo- Thank you for sharing your story even with all the highs & lows. Actually, this is what all our lives look like in one form or another.
I would call this somewhat normal. Jim @thankful

@sharonlou
So sorry to hear about the issues you are having with your eyes.
I am in the process of reducing Effexor.
I've shared this many times, but I know how difficult it is to go back and read all past stories.
So here is my journey.
I am 64 yo. I've been on Effexor for more years than I can remember. I am guessing way over 10.
After 1 year of being on the Effexor, my PCP suggested that since I was doing so well, I should start to reduce and come off of it. I don't remember the dosage I was taking, at the time. I remember I was taking 2 pills (one in the am and one in the pm). She told me to reduce down to 1 pill for a week or so, and then the next. I got as far as reducing 1 pill when the anxiety kicked in to full mode. Worse than before.
I will not bore you with what went on between then and now. All I will say is that the drug has done well by me (as far as anxiety attacks), but I noticed severe memory issues and the feeling of my head always in a cloud and heavy. So, my goal right now is to reduce to a level where I feel is good.
When I began my reduction, I was taking 300 mg a day (2-75 mg in the AM and PM). I went into this expecting it will a VERY long time to get to where I want to be. I also acknowledged that it will be ME who will determine when I am ready to reduce. I will read my own body!

Each change, so far, has taken 3 weeks (by choice). If I thought I was having (or will have ) a reaction, that time frame woul change.

1st 3 weeks: I reduced 1/4 of 1 of my PM pills EVERY OTHER DAY. AM pills not changed
PATTERN: 1-3/4 PILLS, 2 WHOLE PILLS, 1-3/4 PILLS, 2 WHOLE PILLS, ETC.
2nd 3 weeks: I took the reduced dosage of my PM pills EVERY DAY. AM pills not changed.
PATTERN: 1-3/4 PILLS, 1-3/4 PILLS....THE SAME EACH DAY
3rd 3 weeks: I reduced another 1/4 of 1 of my PM pills EVERY OTHER DAY. AM pills not changed.
PATTERN: 1-1/2 PILLS, 1-3/4 PILLS, 1-1/2 PILLS, 1-3/4 PILLS, ETC.
4th 3 weeks: I took the reduced doage of my PM pills EVERY DAY. AM pills not changed
PATTERN: 1-1/2 PILLS, 1-1/2 PILLS,.....THE SAME EACH DAY.
5th 3 weeks: I reduced another 1/2 of 1 of my PM pills EVERY OTHER DAY. AM pills not changed
I am on the last couple of days of this pattern.
PATTERN: 1 -1/4 PILLS, 1-1/2 PILLS, 1-1/4 PILLS, 1-1/2 PILLS., ETC.
6th 3 weeks: In a couple of days I will take the reduced doage of my PM pills EVERY DAY. AM pills not changed.
PATTERN: 1-1/4 PILLS, 1-1/4 PILLS, 1-1/4 PILLS, ETC. **If I develop any issues, I will remain on this dosage.

I THINK YOU CAN SEE THE PATTERN I AM USING. SO FAR, ONLY MY SLEEP HAS BEEN IMPACTED, AND I AM NOT 100% SURE IT IS FROM THE REDUCTION. ON THE UPSIDE, I DON'T FEEL LIKE MY HEAD IS IN THE FOG AND MY MEMORY SEEMS TO BE GETTING BETTER!

Hope this helps and does not confuse you or anyone else even more.
Good luck!
Ronnie (GRANDMAr)

Update: now off venlafaxine completely for a full week as of tomorrow. The first few days were torture. Even with Prozac to help. But now I'm getting better. Huge improvement over trying before without Prozac as and adjunct. From the withdrawal at any rate. Lingering headaches that don't respond to my attempts at problem solving (flow chart basically - first water and food then sleep then ibuprofen) hurt obviously. My sleep schedule is closer to a cat than a human. Up for a few hours, asleep for a few hours until the middle of the night to early morning when I get a surge of nervous energy.

The much bigger problem is Depression hitting me over the head hard, especially being now unemployed (laid off at the end of January).

I'm definitely going to seek out a different antidepressant, since I'm unfortunately someone who has this for life and don't believe in the whole 'no medicine' movement. That attitude scares me since those are the people who try to tell me I'd be cured if I did X Y or Z. As if Depression is a character flaw or punishment rather than a medical condition.

I'm still here. One day at a time, hour by hour.

Good morning. I am a member of this group which is chose because my doctor(psychiatric nurse) too me off Zoloft because of the possible side effect of blood sugar drop and I was on Zoloft a long time. She prescribed Effexor 75 mg. I don't remember if I was have negative side effects but I did note that I was gaining weight so I stopped after about 2 weeks. I was a mess and when I called her she said it was withdrawal from the effexor and put me on 37.5 with the goal I think, to stop all together. It was during the holidays and my first Christmas without my husband and we decided we would leave things as they were. I knew I could not handle withdrawal with everything else going on. I know 37.5 is not a therapeutic dose, but I am not having problems that I know of with taking it. Yes, I have depression and was thing about having her increase the effexor. As I read the posts on Effexor and withdrawal and the horrible experiences I become very frightened. As far as I know I haven't had negative side effects even when the dose was higher. I became concerned because I was reading the horror stories of withdrawal. Many of you have said that your depression and other symptoms returned when you stopped taking it. I am asking what the terrible side effects were that caused you to stop taking Effexor. I have only heard about the withdrawal. I have friends doing well the this medication and I do believe that many of us need a medication to hep with depression. I have also seen posts saying you went on a different medication for depression. If Effexor was working, as I have heard many say their symptoms returned when they stopped why did you stop? I am confused aand on the fence here on whether to continue or not. Thank you.

@notaround- Good for you!!! I have also had depression and anxiety for a very long time. I don't intend to wean myself off of anything right now as I am stable. I take Welbutrin and Zoloft. I also bought a "Happy Light". I sit in front of it every morning for 1/2 hour. Please believe me when I say that I have NOT been depressed since I started using it. I have done a lot of hard work on getting myself back to being content and am excited about some plans that I have made. Getting out, no matter how difficult it is, is so important and it gets better every time you do it!

I stopped taking Effexor (venlafaxine XR) because it wasn't working anymore. I didn't have anxiety, but I was consistently, deeply depressed. I was taking 150XR and didn't want to go any higher. I don't remember what my starting dose was because it was 25 years ago, but I'd had to go to a higher dose several times because of depression. I'd experienced the brain zaps if I missed a day of my dose and several years ago when I didn't refill my scrip in time and had to go without my med for 4-5 days, I was close to suicidal. Because the medicine wasn't working anymore, I decided I wanted to see if I could go without it. I tapered off over several months and, while it wasn't easy, it was wonderful to finally be free of the drug. I'm back on an anti-depressant because I've found that I do need one, but I was determined never to go near Effexor again. If it's working for you, that's great! If it had continued to work for me, I'd still be taking it.

Glad to know you're stable on Wellbutrin and Zoloft and I heartily second what you said about your light box. I swear by mine! And ditto on the exercise and getting out. It's hard to motivate myself to do that, but every time I do, I'm always glad. I just got some ice cleats to strap on my shoes so I can continue to walk even in the dreadful weather where I live. Being cooped up is simply not worth it!

@summertime4 If it works for you, by all means stay on it. I personally stopped because it wasn't working anymore after getting up to the maximum dose and then had a few days where I didn't have my pills and I thought I was dying.

***If it still worked for me, I would still be taking it. Even with the risk of withdrawal and having to be paranoid about running out.***

I think that if it was working for you and you still have room to increase the dose, stay on it. Venlafaxine isn't the first antidepressant people get prescribed so I'm guessing you tried several others and they didn't work.

I have a happy light too actually. For me it didn't help the depression at all (mine isn't even slightly seasonal). It helped me stay awake when I worked night shifts back in college though.

Getting out would probably help but being stuck at home and isolated is part of why I'm not happy.

I have a life threatening allergy to synthetic scents which is almost everything. I have to avoid airborne stuff even, not just putting stuff on my skin. Like people doing their laundry makes my throat start to close up if I walk by their house when it's venting. Obviously I can't have most human contact. And finding a job that is 100% from home is difficult since I can't do anything that's based on phone calls.

If I could cure my allergies, I'd be able to handle the depression. Also I'd be able to get a job since currently I can't work in an cubicle.