Tips on minimizing withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)

I too am trying to quit. I started 8 years ago when I found out my pregnant wife was having an affair. Yeah, you read that right!! Needless to say, I am remarried and extremely happy with my life. The Dr. at the time didn’t tell me about Effexor and I didn’t ask. I worked my way down over the last few years to where I am taking 37.5mg every other day. I have gone without before for several days back when I was on higher dosage and I felt horrible with the brain shivers and nausea. I’m hoping this will be better since I had reduced so much. I took my last pill 2 days ago and I can tell it’s past time to take it cause my body tells me. I am done with them though. I am going to get through this whether I have the brain shivers or not. My new Dr prescribed me some phenogren and benztropine to help with the withdrawal symptoms but I’m not sure I want to mess with it. I took a 25mg Benadryl just to see if it eases up the brain shivers I can feel coming on.
Good luck to you.

@elaine0
Welcome to our group. You are certainly in the right place!
All of us are dealing with Venlafaxine (Effexor) in one way or another.
We are here to help you, support you and advise you (if we can).
I am not in the medical field in any way, just an Effexor user, so anything I say is based on my own experiences, research or things I've read.

First off, 'slowly' means a lot of different things to different people.
In addition, you did not mention what dosage you were on just before starting your reduction.
Lastly, most, not all doctors know how to give good advice when it comes to weaning off this drug.

All that being said, let me tell you that slow can mean days, weeks, months or even years.
I was on 300 mg a day (2-75mg in the morning and evening).
I started with my evening dose in November.
It took me until the end of April (or so) to make a total reduction of just 20%.
I now take just 1-75 mg pill in the evening.
I've been at this level for about a month.
It is my intention to wait until after the summer to begin to reduce my morning dosage to 1-75mg, too.
Waiting serves ME a couple of things.
I don't have to worry about what will happen over the summer while I plan to do trips and second, it is giving my body (and mind) an opportunity to become accustom to the dosage.

What you are explaining in your post is withdrawal.
Yes, withdrawal, just like you hear about with illegal drugs and opioids!
Your brain chemistry changes from the Effexor and reacts when it doesn't get the drug.
Although some of our members were warned about the difficulty of coming off the drug, I do not believe anyone was warned just how hard (and dangerous) it could be!!!
I, myself, am in no rush since I do not have any intention of coming off of it 100%.
It has been the only drug that has helped me!
My first goal was to reduce my evening pill by one.......DONE!
My second goal will be to reduce my morning pill by one.
MAYBE I'll go down to 37.5mg at some point, I'll see.

It is VERY important not to only go slowly, but to READ YOUR BODY.
You body will tell you if you have reduced too much.
It will tell you if you need something else to help you along with the process (even to go back to your last dosage).
DO NOT REDUCE ANYMORE UNTIL YOUR BODY SHOWS SIGNS IT IS READY!
GO VERY, VERY SLOWLY!!!

Good luck!
Ronnie (GRANDMAr)

FYI, I have read that Effexor leaves your body within 24 hours so, the every other day regimen is usually unhelpful. Why not just take half? It would greatly help your symptoms. Congrats on getting happiness back!

Yeah, I realized that it left my body and all I was doing was stretching out until the symptoms started. I take an XR and they don’t make any other dosage smaller according to my Dr. I am not disciplined enough to count out the beads and honestly just want to be off of it. I have never had anxiety or other issues so it was prescribed just to help my depression. As long as I can manage the brain shivers then I feel I can be off of them 100%.

I too am trying to quit. I started 8 years ago when I found out my pregnant wife was having an affair. Yeah, you read that right!! Needless to say, I am remarried and extremely happy with my life. The Dr. at the time didn’t tell me about Effexor and I didn’t ask. I worked my way down over the last few years to where I am taking 37.5mg every other day. I have gone without before for several days back when I was on higher dosage and I felt horrible with the brain shivers and nausea. I’m hoping this will be better since I had reduced so much. I took my last pill 2 days ago and I can tell it’s past time to take it cause my body tells me. I am done with them though. I am going to get through this whether I have the brain shivers or not. My new Dr prescribed me some phenogren and benztropine to help with the withdrawal symptoms but I’m not sure I want to mess with it. I took a 25mg Benadryl just to see if it eases up the brain shivers I can feel coming on.
Good luck to you.

Excellent advice. In my 6th week of tapering off my daily dosage of 75 mg Venlafaxine (Effexor), I found that I felt relatively fine until my brain told me on day 4 of week 5 that it wasn’t tolerating my taking only every other day of 37.50mg.
After joining this forum a week ago on the day I felt so out of it with brain fog and dizziness, I added 37.50 back on a daily basis again, and I’m feeling more human. Yesterday, I even felt great all day! However this afternoon, I again began to feel only slightly dizzy and out of sorts about the time I was to head out to an appt, but I decided it best to reschedule it to be on the safe side when driving. DO NOT drive when you are having side effects that cloud your alertness.
I’m fortunate to be recently retired and have the luxury of staying in at home, or sleeping in while tapering off this powerful drug. I plan to take 37.50mg daily for another month before tapering off 5-10% each subsequent month. I’ll discuss the slower tapering with my primary care doctor (internist) tomorrow to “enlighten her” on what I’ve discovered in my 6 week journey.
The support on this forum is heartwarming and most appreciated. It is evident we are all gaining a healthy, enjoyable life sans Venlafaxine. It should be taken off the market ASAP. In my opinion, there are enough less gripping drugs out there to help manage anxiety and depression for those who genuinely need to take it to balance their brain chemistries. Best wishes to all who press on! We’ll get there! 🐦

@sheffieldsmith
When you decrease your taper next month be sure to decrease it 5–10% at your then current dose.
Jake

I am so sorry as I am new to this and not sure how to ask a question. I am just after coming off Venlafaxine after 6 years of using it because I felt it was no longer effective and it was either increase it or finally get off it. i was not in anyway prepared for what has been happening over the pst three days. I reduced slowly to 37.5 and managed without any issues provided I took it at the same time daily. I feel it just prolonged the inevitable. I would give up smoking 10 times over again than face another day like this. I am bed bound today as talking or moving creates some sort of disconnection between my sight and my brain and senses. Hearing this shot in my ears and shock in my head but not painful? Anxiety out of control to the fact that yesterday I couldn't breath so took a few days off work to calm. I will never take one again and face going through this again so there is no going back but all I want to and need to know is how long this is going to last? My face is burning, cheeks raw red, and vertigo. I know this is not all in my head and very much a physical response and I'm honestly shocked that this was never on my radar of what might happen nor did my doctors. She has just said drink plenty of water. I am so sorry to hear all your stories as I know im not alone but how can I make this easier without being willing to take another tablet and how long should it feel like this?
Thanks so much to all you very brave people

@mammy
Chest pains? Call 911. Go to the emergency room.

That where I ended up on Tuesday and the staff assured me that I was not having a heart attack nor had I had one. There advise is that the withdrawals are raising havoc with me. I don't think my Dr. knew how to taper the drug. As of tomorrow I will have been off Effexor for one week. I hope in the next week the withdrawal symptoms will subside a little. It is awful trying to work and deal with this stuff.