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@texasduchess

@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.

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Replies to "@patrn Please read the previous posts on this thread! The main advice on this site is..."

Ty for this information. I will be contacting my Dr tomorrow. The symptoms first started on Friday and I didn’t relate them to this until later that day. (Thought vertigo). I was on Pristq for over 8 years until changed yo Effexor almost 3 years ago. Will try Benadryl tonight.