Tips on minimizing withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)

Wow, wow, wow...lots going on here.
Its too hot for me to use all the energy to go back and read all the posts. Sorry, but my MS is very active...
Ok, so we have someone wanting to do a 50%reduction. Hmmmm, I used to think like that...
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In spite of my being an RN, I thought I will just get myself off this last drug of 16 I had weaned myself off of.
So I went cold turkey... Off of 125 mg daily...I only took another dose when the symptoms got to bad....from August to January or something like that.
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NOT THE THING TO DO...DO NOT TRY THIS.
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I ended up having a full on stroke, the drag your foot to the door, hand clenched tight, drooling kind of stroke...
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So devers, if you want to go 50% reduction and ignore all the great advice my friends here are trying to pass on, that is on you. Be prepared for the consequences though.
Bright Wings

TexasDuchess
Oh happy birthday my wonderful friend...I hope you have an absolutely wonderful day.
Smiling at you, Bright Wings.

You could have saved yourself the trouble and just have someone hit you with a sledgehammer. I tried the cold turkey from 200mg then twice at my own guesses for tapering. As you might expect, I was not entirely successful, sorry you went through that.

@renwald
I can’t even imagine how awful that must have been. You’ve learned a valuable lesson, painful as it must have been. I’m sorry you went through that.
@brightwings
Susie, I still can’t believe such an intelligent lady did that. I’m glad you let people know how dangerous it is to do.
Jake

@texasduchess
Hey there Tex,
So it’s your birthday.
Your candles arrived
Care to share your age??? I thought not, lol.
I hope you had a wonderful day!!!
Jake

Yes, well if you click on my name you will see I have been here on this site for a while...
I have had other things on my plate this year to write much here, I've been writing on other pages Mayo Clinic Connect.
My friends are entirely capable of holding down the fort here. I just jump in when we get someone who thinks they know how to do this weaning...their way....then I share what happened to me.
Listen and believe or not, it's your body and your life....and consequences.
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I will give a brief update though....
The anxiety I have been feeling as a result of no Effexor is being handled by the CBD....when I have it. Still having trouble getting it from the company....can't remember my password....going to have to reset the whole account...oh well...
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I went to my family reunion....I knew in advance I was taking a tremendous risk by going....well because it was MY family...and because of risking a tremendous flare/relapse of my MS.
The temps ranged just below 94....don't know about heat index...
We had 30 family members show up...16 did not.
It was extremely successful for recovering relationships...
We all had a great time...
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And I took one of my healing friends with me, I didn't trust myself to drive from Missouri to Ohio, having had a TIA in March. I don't have a long attention span at times and I just didn't trust my ability...
So Anne had a great time finding fossils in the park and sharing them. She was also there to pray over my family and be a helper/healer.
She did a tremendous job.
We had great food, all coked over the biggest firepit I have ever seen. Oh, giggling, I had been wondering if I should bring my crockpot....then the night before we left we learned it was primitive camping. IE no water and no electricity. Yikes!
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I was proactive, sharing with folks ahead of time, I didn't have much energy and having hosted the family for 25 years at our lake lot, and not feeling well, I would not be the one jumping up to do things...It was surprisingly effective.
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On the way home, with Anne driving the 550 miles, about an hour from home, my brain became so messed up from my MS, I couldn't even understand the words Anne was saying....Then the colors started in my brain...NOT A GOOD SIGN.
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Long story short, Anne reached out her hand, laid it on my neck and kept it there for a while...
Relapse ended!!!!!!!!
Gosh, I knew she was way more advanced than I am in healing skills and I am no slouch. But I never dreamed she could do anything like that...
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She learned these skills at a class called Mesa...it teaches Pruvian Shamanship. So, long story short, I am now signed up for the first class in October. The classes are 6 months apart, a series of 3.
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Anne got our medicine man of our tribe to agree to pay for the first class. $430. I will cover the next classes. These skills will be used to heal our tribe, that's why he is covering the class.
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So, one more thing to add. I was also Leary of attending the reunion because of fear of past abuse issues popping up...well, that happened too.
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So folks, I have more internal healing to do...it seems I am no longer alone, more personalities have emerged. For those of you that don't know me, I had tremendous abuse as a kid. Click on my name and read...
Big sigh, well I got all those other personalities healed...I will do this also. The class in October will rip me apart and put me together again in 4 days, Anne assures me...I trust her....She will attend with me...
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While I am not thrilled to be doing this work again, I have the skills...I know how to heal all those littles that were created so long ago, I can do it again.
I am winning...Bright Wings

@Jake
Remember, I didn't have any idea there would be withdrawal...any withdrawal...
I found this place about 3 months after my last dose...because I started researching withdrawal symptons for Effexor. Gosh, I took it for 33 years....
Bright Wings

Giggling
Jake, I am almost 69....how about you?

@texasduchess happy birthday!!

Neat! I ordered a jar of empty gel caps. The approximately 20mg I took Friday afternoon is just now wearing off. (The tinnitus gets louder and is occasionally stopped by a short muffled explosion). So tfn around 18-20mg every other day. Continue with cbd to kill acute psychological distress in its tracks. Great. Thanks.