← Return to Tips on minimizing withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)
DiscussionTips on minimizing withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)
Depression & Anxiety | Last Active: 9 hours ago | Replies (6415)Comment receiving replies
Replies to "One more thing. I was on 75mgs until the past weekend and then they told me..."
@farmboy
Please remember I'm not a doctor, just another person who took Effexor and experienced difficulty when quitting it. All I can give you is what I learned during the process. I think the rest of us on here are/were in the same boat. My research found time and time again that someone's doctor underestimated the likelihood of withdrawal symptoms and overestimated the likely success of the tapering schedule suggested. A friend who was an elderly lady then told me 40 years ago, "Nothing is too much trouble for the person who doesn't have to do it."
Your taper has been steep and fast (225 then to 150 for 2 weeks, then to 75 for 2 weeks, then 75 every other day, then every other day, then stop).
A few days ago, I posted this in reply to you--
"When the withdrawal symptoms are too much, the usual recommendation is to go back to the dose where you didn't have those W/D effects, stay there for a while (weeks, months, etc.) before again tapering to not so big a drop. Your tapers have been pretty steep and you haven't stayed at the next lower dose for long. You may think you're losing ground by going back, but the discomfort you're experiencing is not worth it. The main advice on this site is go slow. Some suggest no more than a 5-10% drop at a time (or even less if your W/D is bad)."
Find out if there are any restrictions/interactions with the Hydroxyzine and Buspirone you're taking; then if not, you can try taking two 37.5mg Effexor to make 75mg and see if you get relief. Consider starting over and tapering off sloooowly to much smaaaaller reductions. After some weeks (or even months), you can taper to a slightly smaller dose, stay there weeks and then, try tapering again.