1. < Depression & Anxiety

Tips on minimizing withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)

Posted by richyrich @richyrich, Nov 2, 2016

I have been taking Effexor/Venlafaxine for years and tried to get off it a few times but each time I try to give up the chemical withdrawal symptoms are a horror story and I give up giving up. Anyone got any tips or tried and tested strategies? Thank you

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farmboy | @farmboy | Mar 25, 2019
In reply to @texasduchess "@farmboy Please keep communicating with and letting your doctor know you are having issues. My withdrawal..." + (show)
@texasduchess

@farmboy
Please keep communicating with and letting your doctor know you are having issues.

My withdrawal symptoms started with my having trouble sleeping–had fear/reluctance about going to sleep, circling thoughts wouldn't let me slip into sleep, couldn't sleep for very long and if I woke, the whole cycle began again–the fear, circling thoughts, difficulty dropping off. When I had a particularly distressing day of ever-increasing anxiety and akathisia, my doctor had me take three days off work and take a whole 5mg Valium twice each day to "get ahead" of the anxiety and akathisia and she prescribed 15 more tablets to use as needed although her "get ahead of it" strategy was pretty effective.

I did not want to rely on Valium and through trial-and-error came up with a number of supplements that help me and have listed the supplements I take in previous posts (click on my name to go back through and read). Ben*dryl helped me sleep and kava kava and GABA during the day helped with anxiety.

Weekends are still hard for me; I am not retired and find working keeps my mind off my physical symptoms. I believe you are not working right now, so find distraction in reading, hobbies, exercise, etc.; avoid frenetic, or over-stimulating tv shows/movies/books; and don't listen to atonal, off-key, or minor key music (these set me off). It also helps to be with other people–go out to dinner, play cards/board games, find a walking buddy to go around the block, etc. Also, very important–get exposure to natural light; light reaching your eyes will lift your mood.

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@texasduchess, i live in the country so I got a nice peaceful road to walk on,I spend a lot of time in my shop working on projects and I live about 5 miles from a small farm town. So I usually go there in the morning to get breakfast and go back to get lunch. I do that to get out and visit with the locals. It's the kind of town where everyone knows everybody. Good people

REPLY
Brightwings AKA Cute Susie | @brightwings | Mar 25, 2019
In reply to @texasduchess "@farmboy Please keep communicating with and letting your doctor know you are having issues. My withdrawal..." + (show)
@texasduchess

@farmboy
Please keep communicating with and letting your doctor know you are having issues.

My withdrawal symptoms started with my having trouble sleeping–had fear/reluctance about going to sleep, circling thoughts wouldn't let me slip into sleep, couldn't sleep for very long and if I woke, the whole cycle began again–the fear, circling thoughts, difficulty dropping off. When I had a particularly distressing day of ever-increasing anxiety and akathisia, my doctor had me take three days off work and take a whole 5mg Valium twice each day to "get ahead" of the anxiety and akathisia and she prescribed 15 more tablets to use as needed although her "get ahead of it" strategy was pretty effective.

I did not want to rely on Valium and through trial-and-error came up with a number of supplements that help me and have listed the supplements I take in previous posts (click on my name to go back through and read). Ben*dryl helped me sleep and kava kava and GABA during the day helped with anxiety.

Weekends are still hard for me; I am not retired and find working keeps my mind off my physical symptoms. I believe you are not working right now, so find distraction in reading, hobbies, exercise, etc.; avoid frenetic, or over-stimulating tv shows/movies/books; and don't listen to atonal, off-key, or minor key music (these set me off). It also helps to be with other people–go out to dinner, play cards/board games, find a walking buddy to go around the block, etc. Also, very important–get exposure to natural light; light reaching your eyes will lift your mood.

Jump to this post

@farmboy
Ok, what you call circling thoughts, I call being on the merry go round. I had a sleep disorder for so very many years...I would just keep going round in my thoughts when I laid down to sleep for years.
I was finally taught how to get off the merry go round... It takes time and effort but YOU CAN DO IT.
When I found myself starting to repeat thoughts I had already been dwelling on, I was to tell myself OUT LOUD, Now is the time for sleep, and I would keep saying that quietly to myself. Now is the time for sleep, repeating it till you can fall asleep. Oh, don't kid yourself, this takes time but with all the repeating thoughts circling unchecked, I would never fall asleep until I was told I could control it.
I really didn't believe I could do it but do you know what???? I did learn to stop the merry go round and now I rarely, oh man, that is a lie....so much has been going on to harm me in the last months since Sept, yes I have had repeating thoughts......AND WHEN I RECOGNIZE WHAT I AM DOING, I TAKE CHARGE.
I see the t.v., I see the carpet, etc, etc, etc.
Recently I started mentoring someone from my tribe.... I realized I am an expert at giving myself endorphins, while I am also an expert at eliminating negative chemical dumps in my brain.
I will share some of them tomorrow cuz it's getting late.
Another thing I do is work off mottos. I will start sharing about those tomorrow also. I need to go to bed but first have to talk to someone in Kenya...I am one of the spiritual mothers of the world....just saying.
Bye, you will get past this...hold that in your hand tonight, Bright Wings says I will get past this...Now these are good circling thoughts and each time you repeat it, softly, out loud, it puts you in control and gives you a healthy dose of endorphins to boot...the feel good chemical.
How did it get to be past 1 am.????
You are not alone, bye, Bright Wings

REPLY
1 reply
farmboy | @farmboy | Mar 25, 2019
In reply to @brightwings "@Farmboy Ok, what you call circling thoughts, I call being on the merry go round. I..." + (show)
@brightwings

@farmboy
Ok, what you call circling thoughts, I call being on the merry go round. I had a sleep disorder for so very many years...I would just keep going round in my thoughts when I laid down to sleep for years.
I was finally taught how to get off the merry go round... It takes time and effort but YOU CAN DO IT.
When I found myself starting to repeat thoughts I had already been dwelling on, I was to tell myself OUT LOUD, Now is the time for sleep, and I would keep saying that quietly to myself. Now is the time for sleep, repeating it till you can fall asleep. Oh, don't kid yourself, this takes time but with all the repeating thoughts circling unchecked, I would never fall asleep until I was told I could control it.
I really didn't believe I could do it but do you know what???? I did learn to stop the merry go round and now I rarely, oh man, that is a lie....so much has been going on to harm me in the last months since Sept, yes I have had repeating thoughts......AND WHEN I RECOGNIZE WHAT I AM DOING, I TAKE CHARGE.
I see the t.v., I see the carpet, etc, etc, etc.
Recently I started mentoring someone from my tribe.... I realized I am an expert at giving myself endorphins, while I am also an expert at eliminating negative chemical dumps in my brain.
I will share some of them tomorrow cuz it's getting late.
Another thing I do is work off mottos. I will start sharing about those tomorrow also. I need to go to bed but first have to talk to someone in Kenya...I am one of the spiritual mothers of the world....just saying.
Bye, you will get past this...hold that in your hand tonight, Bright Wings says I will get past this...Now these are good circling thoughts and each time you repeat it, softly, out loud, it puts you in control and gives you a healthy dose of endorphins to boot...the feel good chemical.
How did it get to be past 1 am.????
You are not alone, bye, Bright Wings

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@brightwings thank yo for chatting and have a good night.

REPLY
Brightwings AKA Cute Susie | @brightwings | Mar 25, 2019

@farmboy, well with the above answer to my questions I want to change your name to FarmMan. Yes, by all means, keep thinking of your kids...allow yourself to see their cute faces and give yourself good endorphins.
Also, go stand in front of the mirror.
If your mouth is curved downward, negative chemicals get dumped in your brain. And if you keep it down, oh man there is no way to feel good, you just perpetuate your circling thoughts and negative chemical dumps.
One of my best mottos was "Fake it till you make it"
I did it By smiling at folks, Pets, anytime and anywhere and everywhere, I kept smiling. All those good endorphins helped me stabilize my moods and thoughts....
Spend 20 minutes in front of the mirror and smile at yourself. Be silly too. Get your kids to play the smiling game with you.....and eventually you get to be in charge of your life again....I promise you, you will, if you are doing the things that folks tell you to do.
You DO HAVE A CHOICE...take charge of your life...or give up.....
I chose life....why??? Because I am a "do what ever it takes kind of girl."...
All the best to you...keep saying, Bright Wings says I can do this....let that be your repeating thoughts when the other destructive thoughts come circling.
You can only have one thought in your mind at a time....now which kinds of thoughts do YOU CHOOSE?
I want you to find some 3x5 cards, tomorrow am we will Start writing motos on them and I want you to use masking tape to post them where you can see them. Each time you read them, guess what happens, you cement that motto in your brain AND you take back your power AND you give yourself some good endorphins...win/win/win!!!!
Night all, smiling at you...(see I use what I teach) Bright Wings

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Brightwings AKA Cute Susie | @brightwings | Mar 25, 2019

@farmboy
I recently started listening to music on u tube....go find the album's you enjoyed when you were a teen. It must be music you especially enjoyed that you associate with good times.
Sing with the music, why??? Good chemical dumps.
For me, its Simon And Garfunkel. And John Denver...but that's my feel good music...what is yours? Bye, yawning...out of here. Bright Wings
Pssst, even my name, Bright Wings was once a fake it till I made it...I was anything but bright wings when I chose it...now I AM Bright Wings cuz I was worth changing my negative self image....
Oh when I came here today, I felt like crap...missing my husband so badly...wanting to be with him....so teary, but by reaching out to others, and sharing here, and taking extra CBD, I totally changed that for myself...why, cuz I was worth the effort!!!!
(Good chemical dump!!!!)
Another mind altering motto, be grateful.....for anything AND everything..... Why, positive chemicals dumps....even if it is a lie today, be grateful....fake it till you make it and each time you say out loud you are grateful guess what happens, positive chemical dump...what a wonderful thing to teach your kids...in all things, good and bad, be grateful...
Ok you got lots to think about...
Bye, smiling at you again!!!! Bright Wings

REPLY
Brightwings AKA Cute Susie | @brightwings | Mar 25, 2019

I gave myself so many endorphins, I am singing. But its almost 3:30...I will have to pay for this cuz of my MS...and who cares, I feel terrific.
I've been singing...I'll be a rover and I'll be a dandy, you will know who I am by the songs that I sing....
I am mighty proud of myself right now.
I do show who I am NOW. I worked for many years to get to here.
Yup, pretty proud of myself.... That will be the merry go round thoughts tonight I choose.
I know myself, but even I am surprised at how good I feel as opposed to when I started posting today...smiling at you, The very bright, Bright Wings.....

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farmboy | @farmboy | Mar 25, 2019

How is everyone doing tonight?

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texasduchess | @texasduchess | Mar 25, 2019
In reply to @farmboy "@brightwings ,no I don't feel sucidal. To many people need me and I wouldn't do that..." + (show)
@farmboy

@brightwings ,no I don't feel sucidal. To many people need me and I wouldn't do that to my girls. To answer your question. This all started about a month or so ago. I was weaning down and got to 75mg every other day. Then stopping after a week of doing that. I was completely off for about 2 weeks. Then the anxiety and panic attacks started. So I went back on the effexor. I've been back on it going on 3 weeks I believe. When I went back on the effexor I started at 75 and now the Dr wants me to go through 150. Not really liking that idea. She also put me on serquel to help with the anxiety and panic attacks. I also take clozepam as needed. No more than 3 times a day. The reason I don't want to go to 150 mg is it will be that much harder to get off of the effexor. This is like a broken record. I get anxiety and panic attacks because I'm not working and bills are coming in. But I get anxiety and panic attacks about getting back in my semi and driving. It's a evil circle. Thank you for your replies.

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@farmboy
Please consider your doctor's recommendation to reinstate Effexor at 150mg; you may think you're losing ground by going back, but the discomfort you're experiencing is not worth it. You can start over and taper off sloooowly by much smaller reductions. This is not a race won by rushing through the process.

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1 reply
farmboy | @farmboy | Mar 25, 2019
In reply to @texasduchess "@farmboy Please consider your doctor's recommendation to reinstate Effexor at 150mg; you may think you're losing..." + (show)
@texasduchess

@farmboy
Please consider your doctor's recommendation to reinstate Effexor at 150mg; you may think you're losing ground by going back, but the discomfort you're experiencing is not worth it. You can start over and taper off sloooowly by much smaller reductions. This is not a race won by rushing through the process.

Jump to this post

I have thought about that and I am going to 150. I'll do about anything to get back to feeling better. I'm so tired of not being me. It's like I'm forgetting how it feels to be me. SCARY

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Brightwings AKA Cute Susie | @brightwings | Mar 25, 2019

Ok, I am reporting in...I just got home from having the time of my life.
I did go to the music jam. Oh, my, I had such a good time. I sang The Beautiful Tennessee Waltz. It was the number one song the day I was born. I also sang, In the Garden.
Next week I will add Teen Angel and Wake up, Little Susie.
Oh my, I have not been able to sing since 2008 or so.
So many folks told me I sang beautifully and told me to make sure I came back!
Oh I am a happy girl and that's a fact, Jack...
I am so incredibly grateful......
Smiling in wonder and happiness.
Bright Wings

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