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Tips on minimizing withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)
Depression & Anxiety | Last Active: 5 days ago | Replies (6363)Comment receiving replies
@texasduchess Haha, I jumped on the birthday bandwagon too! Mine is July 30 by the way!
@brightwings so good to hear from you and to hear your experiences at the reunion. Your new course sounds like an amazing opportunity. I'm so glad to hear you're taking care of yourself. I started taking my CBD oil again, seems like it caused some anxiety which it's never done in the past. However, I think right now, everything I seem to do causes anxiety, you know, that deep underlying belief "this won't work. I'm damaged forever. Life is ruined, there is nothing to help me". My God, do I hate to slip into that mindset so quickly and insidiously! I count my blessings that there aren't a million other health problems I could be having! Why is it difficult to be grateful? I think the answer to that is because this medicine was working on our brains! And our brains are where our thoughts arise, obviously, so if our brains are in the process of healing, our thoughts will not always be the best. At least, that's what I hope! I want to emerge from this a better, nicer, more positive person!!
Today the NP said for me to stay on the vistaril. He also said I could start taking prozac if I wanted. I filled the prescription and will pray about it. I've read that one dose of prozac will end effexor withdrawal symptoms. So I'm back to the "what if I try and it doesn't work?" thoughts. Goodness, to have a sound mind would be a lovely thing!
Starting therapy Wednesday mostly so my husband will get a break from my incessant talk about withdrawal, and hoping to pick up some techniques to help me through this.
You all are a godsend to me! Just wanted you to know that.
Replies to "@texasduchess Haha, I jumped on the birthday bandwagon too! Mine is July 30 by the way!..."
@sandij
Hi Sandi,
I often look to Winston Churchill and how resilient and positive he was when faced with so much adversity, he certainly had reason to be negative but he chose to see the positive when he was surrounded in devastation.
“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.” That is so true.
Sadly we are more negative than positive. There have been studies showing this. There is the
5-1 rule where it takes 5 positive thoughts to wipe out 1 negative thought. Always remember how much worse things could be. There are positive things even in the worst tragedies. It all depends on on how we choose to look at a situation.
Best of luck,
Jake
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@sandij
Well, happy birthday to you (early)!
I think thoughts going to the "dark side" is part of Effexor withdrawal; my husband has noticed that I tend to go all "doom and gloom" since quitting Effexor. It's been 13 months since my withdrawal began and I still do this, just not as much/as long.
Re the Prozac, don't be discouraged if one pill doesn't do the job--I read it may take two, or more doses. One source said you may need to take a second 20mg dose of Prozac; another said you take 10–20mg Prozac (fluoxetine) for a short period (weeks, a month) until your WD symptoms resolve, then taper off the Prozac over 2–3 weeks.