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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Moderator
Lisa Lucier, Moderator | @lisalucier | May 23, 2019
In reply to @sandij "@elaine0 you are in the right place! Welcome to the group that nobody wants to be..." + (show)
@sandij

@elaine0 you are in the right place! Welcome to the group that nobody wants to be part of, like @brightwings said in an earlier post.

I was on effexor 225 for many years and decided to taper off in September 2018. I tapered relatively fast, going from 225 to 150, and then from 150 to 75. After starting to count beads when tapering from the 75 capsules that I have, I got sick and tired of being on this drug and feeling like it was controlling me. So at the dose of 67 mg I jumped off. My last dose was on April 17. I had the dizziness, nausea, and anxiety for several days and I took benadryl to help. I've also been on CBD oil for a long time, and continued my regimen of vitamin D, omega 3, and other unrelated supplements. Things have been well since then.

May I suggest you take a look at this website which is the best explanation of protracted withdrawals:
https://npanth.wordpress.com/2013/01/31/waves-and-windows-in-ssri-withdrawal/
With that being said, I am stepping back from this forum for a bit. I am doing really well and although I know exactly what MAY be expected from conducting my taper the way that I did, I am not going to live my life in fear of the next wave, IF it comes, I am confident that I am equipped to deal with it. I can look back at the experience that I had when I cold turkeyed neurontin (not really by choice) and that, by far, was worse.
There will be those that say I haven't experienced the worst, that the worst is coming, that withdrawal may not hit me until the drug leaves my fat stores, it may be six months later, etc etc. While that may be true....guess what? It might NOT happen.
I appreciate all of the reminders and advice on this forum to take it slow, to decrease by very small amounts, etc. But at this moment I have to move on from that...not that it is negative, as I said, they are all good reminders, but I'm choosing to place all my focus on the positive aspects in my life and have gratitude for the place I am in. I'll continue to check in from time to time, but I need to be surrounded by success stories right now in order to level up.
See you all on the other side!

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Hi, @sandij - though we'd love to have you around in this particular discussion of tapering off of venlafaxine (Effexor), it's also just fine if you choose to step away. I'd encourage you, though, to check out other Connect discussions that might be of interest. A specific discussion you may be interested in related to your work on placing all your focus on the positive aspects in your life and having gratitude for the place you are in is the Connect Just Want to Talk group's gratitude discussion https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/gratitude-discussion-group. I've seen many members mention just how uplifting reading others' posts in this conversation can be and in sharing things they are personally grateful for.

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grandmaR | @grandmar | May 23, 2019
In reply to @mammy "That where I ended up on Tuesday and the staff assured me that I was not..." + (show)
@mammy

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.

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@mammy
Thank you for the update!
I am happy that your heart was not involved!
I can't understand how docs do not know how to taper this drug.
I am sure patients, like you, have complained about the withdrawal.
Sadly, I think that SOME docs either aren't listening or they don't care.
There are so many of us on this drug, trying to come off or to reduce that they MUST hear the horror stories.
They are not stupid!
They have to realize that the advice they are giving patients is incorrect!

Sorry, just venting!
I really don't know how you are working under those circumstances.
I don't want to be a downer, but you should not be surprised when you have more withdrawal symptoms.
Sadly, they will come, but now you know what they are and what to expect.

Good luck to you!
Ronnie (GRANDMAr)

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Angie | @angiee | May 24, 2019

Thank you all for sharing your experiences. I was put on Effexor a few years ago to help with my dizziness and migraines. It hasn't helped at all. I told my doc and she said " that's just your anxiety, you need to increase your dose " BS! I dont have anxiety at all. No clue where she came up with that. I was already on 225mg a day. I've gotten myself down to 150mg every other day, but I don't know how to decrease from there. Ideas???

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2 replies
jmwspud | @jmwspud | May 24, 2019

Just an update. My last pill was on Monday (37.5 mg) and I have had a few brain zaps but took a Benadryl based on info I found and it has seemed to work. I’ve been a little grouchy and moody but it is getting better. My zaps have not been bad at all especially when compared to when I went without for a few days on 75mg. If this is the worst of it then I am glad I finally quit taking them.

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1 reply
texasduchess | @texasduchess | May 24, 2019
In reply to @angiee "Thank you all for sharing your experiences. I was put on Effexor a few years ago..." + (show)
@angiee

Thank you all for sharing your experiences. I was put on Effexor a few years ago to help with my dizziness and migraines. It hasn't helped at all. I told my doc and she said " that's just your anxiety, you need to increase your dose " BS! I dont have anxiety at all. No clue where she came up with that. I was already on 225mg a day. I've gotten myself down to 150mg every other day, but I don't know how to decrease from there. Ideas???

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@angiee
Read these posts–at the very least, look back 1–2 weeks–you'll find links to quite a few helpful articles and sites as well as good advice on how to taper off Effexor as well as what withdrawal symptoms can occur and how to minimize/deal with them.

Reducing/quitting Effexor (and other antidepressants) can CAUSE the very issues they were designed to treat--a backlash effect; you may well experience anxiety, agitation, irritability, depression, etc., while tapering off EVEN if you were put on Effexor for non-emotional/non-psychiatric reasons. Many of us experienced major dizziness and vertigo while reducing--if you still have dizziness; this may get worse. Effexor makes profound changes to how our brains balance the neurotransmitters needed to function. Your brain has to reset itself and learn how to work on its own; the time this takes varies enormously.

Reducing SLOOWWWLY significantly minimizes the unpleasant (and sometimes debilitating) withdrawal effects. Your doctor will need to get on board. Prescriptions for other dosage amounts (i.e., 75mg, or 37.5mg), or for a different formulation (changing from extended-release to regular release, or from capsules to tablets) will allow you to mix and match to lower doses. With the right prescription, a compounding pharmacy can even make tapered doses for you.

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1 reply
texasduchess | @texasduchess | May 24, 2019
In reply to @jmwspud "Just an update. My last pill was on Monday (37.5 mg) and I have had a..." + (show)
@jmwspud

Just an update. My last pill was on Monday (37.5 mg) and I have had a few brain zaps but took a Benadryl based on info I found and it has seemed to work. I’ve been a little grouchy and moody but it is getting better. My zaps have not been bad at all especially when compared to when I went without for a few days on 75mg. If this is the worst of it then I am glad I finally quit taking them.

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@jmwspud
Glad the Ben*dryl is working for your brain zaps/shivers. Let us know how you continue to get on.

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farm_mom | @farm_mom | May 24, 2019
In reply to @angiee "Thank you all for sharing your experiences. I was put on Effexor a few years ago..." + (show)
@angiee

Thank you all for sharing your experiences. I was put on Effexor a few years ago to help with my dizziness and migraines. It hasn't helped at all. I told my doc and she said " that's just your anxiety, you need to increase your dose " BS! I dont have anxiety at all. No clue where she came up with that. I was already on 225mg a day. I've gotten myself down to 150mg every other day, but I don't know how to decrease from there. Ideas???

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Take it SLOW.... that just can't be stressed enough.
Taper dosage by no more than 20% at a time and step down every 4-6 weeks. There are loads of posts within this board about tapering methods. (counting beads if capsules, cutting pills)
Will it take a while (12 months or more?) YES! Will it be worth it? YES!
Withdrawal from Venlafaxine is debilitating for some.
Best wishes!

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1 reply
secretwhitepop | @secretwhitepop | May 26, 2019
In reply to @coloradogirl "Happy to help. Good luck with your process. I also forgot to mention that both stress..." + (show)
@coloradogirl

Happy to help. Good luck with your process. I also forgot to mention that both stress and sugar seem to make the brain zaps worse for me. Even though I've been off for about a month now, I had a cupcake yesterday afternoon and within about an hour, I had quite a few. Worth watching in case it does the same thing to you.

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I whole heartedly agree! Stress, sugar and lack of sleep all out me in a tailspin! Meditate too.

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texasduchess | @texasduchess | May 26, 2019

@farm_mom
I remember that you're motivated to get off Effexor because of eye side effects (glaucoma). Others have mentioned blurriness. I took my last dose of Effexor 4/14/18 and had my annual eye exam on 5/22/18. Prescription was unchanged. Picked up my new contacts a week later and couldn't see with them. Was reexamined--left eye had changed in that week from -4.75 to -4.25 (improved!). It's a year later and just had my eyes examined--both eyes are now -4.00 (more improvement!).

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2 replies
secretwhitepop | @secretwhitepop | May 26, 2019
In reply to @texasduchess "@farm_mom I remember that you're motivated to get off Effexor because of eye side effects (glaucoma)...." + (show)
@texasduchess

@farm_mom
I remember that you're motivated to get off Effexor because of eye side effects (glaucoma). Others have mentioned blurriness. I took my last dose of Effexor 4/14/18 and had my annual eye exam on 5/22/18. Prescription was unchanged. Picked up my new contacts a week later and couldn't see with them. Was reexamined--left eye had changed in that week from -4.75 to -4.25 (improved!). It's a year later and just had my eyes examined--both eyes are now -4.00 (more improvement!).

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No kidding? That would be amazing if it works for me too!

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