Tips on minimizing withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)

@grandmar you mentioned gentics. On my mom's side of the family depression and anxiety runs pretty strong. My dad's side has a little bit of anxiety. So yes I totally agree with you about it being gentics.

Really bad anxiety today! Feel all shaky inside and don’t want to do anything. Any suggestions in easing this feeling? I’m trying to keep busy, but it’s hard. I’m starting week four off of Effexor. I did start Prozac two weeks ago to ease my symptoms, but do not feel that it is helping right now. Guess I’m just having one of those days.

I am new to this forum.... 11 years ago I had a crown put on a tooth. The next day I was overwhelmed with a sudden and extremely dry mouth. My first reaction was that nickel was used...which I am allergic. Long, long story shortened, dentist didn’t agree, I had crown removed, changed dentists and went in search of reason for the over intense, high anxiety reaction to my mouth. After going to 8 different specialists, an oral pathologist was able to show me literature which described my situation to a T. Diagnosed with Burning Mouth Syndrome ( similar to Sjogrens Syndrome, but brought about quickly and without explanation, such as taking medication which could cause it)...I was put on Pristq for anxiety. Improvement at approximately 50-60% was obtained which helped but would have liked better, I was on that until changed to Effexor for anxiety due to cost/government. Etc.
I have always had a low tolerance of meds, and take nothing other than this, so only put on 37.5mg. The Effectiveness was about 10% better .. so after talking with my Dr he was going to change me to something that worked on neuropathy type problems..Cymbalta. I was given instructions on decreasing my Med with took about 2 weeks until completely being off them. Last Tues was my last pill. There was no deterioration of the discomfort of my mouth so I thought I might stop taking any other Med at this time. I had no problems until Friday. Got ready to go to the gym but nausea and dizziness started up. I have vertigo occasionally, and thought that was what was happening. Rested for a couple of hours only to get up with multiple other things going at me! Hot/cold, nausea/ headache, emotions swinging right and left, tears/anger/rage...just to name a few. The weekend has been UNBELIEVABLE! Started reading on this sight on Friday night, from posts dating back to early 2005..Described me to a tee except the sucidal thoughts Insomnia hit that night but when able to sleep had scary nightmares! So sorry for this long post...went to gym yesterday..stumbling, confused and emotional but determined to exercise. Rode the stationary bike for 5 miles. Unable to do anything else. I have read on here that it could be up to 3 weeks to longer to get thru this nightmare. Has anyone had faster improvement using exercise? What about diet? Nothing sounds good. Have eaten soup for 3 days and only water. Having the shakes more today (Sunday) with tears popping up unexpectedly. Has anyone seen improvement with a specific diet? Thank you for this forum. It has given me insight and hope that there is light somewhere, sometime at the end of this tunnel. Looking for milestones..one week down on Tues! Patrn

Really bad anxiety today! Feel all shaky inside and don’t want to do anything. Any suggestions in easing this feeling? I’m trying to keep busy, but it’s hard. I’m starting week four off of Effexor. I did start Prozac two weeks ago to ease my symptoms, but do not feel that it is helping right now. Guess I’m just having one of those days.

I am new to this forum.... 11 years ago I had a crown put on a tooth. The next day I was overwhelmed with a sudden and extremely dry mouth. My first reaction was that nickel was used...which I am allergic. Long, long story shortened, dentist didn’t agree, I had crown removed, changed dentists and went in search of reason for the over intense, high anxiety reaction to my mouth. After going to 8 different specialists, an oral pathologist was able to show me literature which described my situation to a T. Diagnosed with Burning Mouth Syndrome ( similar to Sjogrens Syndrome, but brought about quickly and without explanation, such as taking medication which could cause it)...I was put on Pristq for anxiety. Improvement at approximately 50-60% was obtained which helped but would have liked better, I was on that until changed to Effexor for anxiety due to cost/government. Etc.
I have always had a low tolerance of meds, and take nothing other than this, so only put on 37.5mg. The Effectiveness was about 10% better .. so after talking with my Dr he was going to change me to something that worked on neuropathy type problems..Cymbalta. I was given instructions on decreasing my Med with took about 2 weeks until completely being off them. Last Tues was my last pill. There was no deterioration of the discomfort of my mouth so I thought I might stop taking any other Med at this time. I had no problems until Friday. Got ready to go to the gym but nausea and dizziness started up. I have vertigo occasionally, and thought that was what was happening. Rested for a couple of hours only to get up with multiple other things going at me! Hot/cold, nausea/ headache, emotions swinging right and left, tears/anger/rage...just to name a few. The weekend has been UNBELIEVABLE! Started reading on this sight on Friday night, from posts dating back to early 2005..Described me to a tee except the sucidal thoughts Insomnia hit that night but when able to sleep had scary nightmares! So sorry for this long post...went to gym yesterday..stumbling, confused and emotional but determined to exercise. Rode the stationary bike for 5 miles. Unable to do anything else. I have read on here that it could be up to 3 weeks to longer to get thru this nightmare. Has anyone had faster improvement using exercise? What about diet? Nothing sounds good. Have eaten soup for 3 days and only water. Having the shakes more today (Sunday) with tears popping up unexpectedly. Has anyone seen improvement with a specific diet? Thank you for this forum. It has given me insight and hope that there is light somewhere, sometime at the end of this tunnel. Looking for milestones..one week down on Tues! Patrn

@patrn
Please read the previous posts on this thread! The main advice on this site is go slow. Your doctor outlined this taper? Stories here and on the web over and over again says that doctors underestimate the likelihood of withdrawal symptoms and overestimate the likely success of the tapering schedule they suggest–probably because they haven't ever gone through the process! You "tapered" off by taking two weeks to get off 37.5mg Effexor; this is not so much a taper as a plummet. Some suggest no more than a 5-10% drop at a time (or even less if your W/D is bad).

Your getting off Effexor will also be compounded by the length of time you've been on the drug--not sure from your story, but it may be some years. I was on it for 18 years (25mg for hot flashes); Effexor gets stored in adipose tissue (fat) all over your body--this takes time to use up and slows down the weaning process, too.

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 taper was pretty steep and you didn't stay at the next lower dose for long.

Exercise will certainly help, but you may want to consider:
1) Reinstating your Effexor and slooowwwly tapering off--months, not two weeks.
2) Contact your doctor ASAP for "bridging" drugs, such as Prozac, to get you through withdrawal.
3) Use OTC products such as Benadr*l to help you sleep, Dram*mine for dizziness and Pept* for nausea.