Tips on minimizing withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)

Are you going cold turkey?

I have been completely off them for about a month. Starting to feel better, at least no headaches and for the most part the mood swings are gone😀

Feel like a wimp coz on low dose 75mg 1x daily. But have been on 10 yrs. GYN put me on for hot flashes, it helped, cannot take any supplements due to endometrial uterine cancer.

Worried, experiencing stiff leg muscles and cramps. Have decided to get off effexor. Doc said go to every other day at current dose for 4 months. Then reduce dose.

Get dizziness if I forget take pill. So not looking forward to this.

Anyone else do the every other day?

That’s too quick. Look at some of these posts. Most recommend going off in very small increments. I went from 150 to 75 to 37.5 to 37.5 split and the split again. Am now on 9.375, but it’s taken me 11 months to get here.

Recommended every day but lower dose?

Today was my"on" day but currently experiencing vertigo

Just read @kbmayo. Get your point. Annoyed at doc's approach !

I might do that instead then thank you, just want to lessen the effects as much as possible as I hate feeling like this x

@janetcquita
Hello!
It sounds to me, too, that you are reducing too much, too quickly. Basically, even through it is every other day, you are cutting down 50% of the total dosage.
I am currently reducing, too. Sorry if I am repeating myself from other postings, but I take 75 mg. Two in the morning and 2 in the evening. I started with reducing my evening pills. I reduced ONLY 1 pill by 1/4. I took the reduced amount every other day for 3 weeks, then every night for 3 weeks. That is a total of 6 weeks for a 1/4 reduction of only 1 pill.
It figure it will take me months before I am where I want to be. I am currently aiming for 37.5 mg in the AM and PM. (a total of 75 mg). I was up to 300 mg daily!!
Just to let you know that I am doing this myself, without a doctor. My psychiatrist, left the practice and I have not yet been to a new doctor. I DO NOT ADVISE THIS, IT IS JUST MY CHOICE!
Good Luck!
Ronnie (GRANDMAr)

Boy am I glad I found this site! What you ladies say makes sense....I didn't really think this thru and as apparently neither did my doc.

Based on your experience guess I better find out what dosages under 75 are available and contact my doc.

Glad you folks are put there!

I did not realize how many active posters there are on this thread. Thank you all for being here. This is so very familiar, and I can now go to my doctors and show them that I am NOT unique, many many patients have HUGE problems weaning off of this drug! My last attempt, as I have shared earlier, was so bad and hard on my husband, myself, and my two then young daughters that I made the choice to go back on the drug, as living with a mom with no short-term memory and irrational rage fits was too much for them, short lived as the fits may have been. I could not live with myself over it. I was too afraid of hurting my family's spirit and feelings, and I figured my girls needed a stable mom more than I then needed to be off of effexor.
Now that my girls are young adults, and I am more mentally prepared for the next steps, I am so very grateful for the support, information, and affirmation available here. My doctor had told me that I must have been having a 'rebound' reaction, or unusual reaction to discontinuing effexor, even though I had followed his instructions. I now KNOW that he was wrong, and I KNOW HOW to educate my doctors about this, and I have the courage and information available to educate THEM about how it all needs to go. My family will be aware of every step in the journey, and they will also have a say in how each step happens. No more shame, no more being a quiet or 'good' patient. Having been through the wars already I am not willing to be told how I should feel, and I am also not willing to allow this drug to hold me hostage any longer. I truly needed Effexor when I started it, but not anymore. Thank you all so much for the information, and support. I appreciate it so very much.