Tips on minimizing withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)

I only was on Effexor for about a year and a half. 37.5. For hot flashes only. Went off 6 months ago after a fainting incident. Had the brain zaps and nausea, etc but the hangover feeling went away. So did anxiety I believe now was caused by the Effexor. I STILL have boat head and throbbing/pulsing, especially late in the day or driving. My head feels "heavy" too. I'm paranoid about other issues but did have brain MRI couple months ago to rule out something really bad after the fainting and heart tested fine. Does anyone have similar ongoing boat head and throbbing six months later???

@brownikl1
Did you stop abruptly?

I did.

@brownikl1
That’s probably why your going through the withdrawals. Effexor needs to be stopped slowly, VERY SLOWLY!
Jake

I only was on Effexor for about a year and a half. 37.5. For hot flashes only. Went off 6 months ago after a fainting incident. Had the brain zaps and nausea, etc but the hangover feeling went away. So did anxiety I believe now was caused by the Effexor. I STILL have boat head and throbbing/pulsing, especially late in the day or driving. My head feels "heavy" too. I'm paranoid about other issues but did have brain MRI couple months ago to rule out something really bad after the fainting and heart tested fine. Does anyone have similar ongoing boat head and throbbing six months later???

Hi. When you say “throbbing/pulsing” can you describe more? I developed “pulsatile tinnitus” after going off Effexor. One of many crazy symptoms, including smelling bad smells! I’ve never had tinnitus before nor ever even heard of pulsatile tinnitus (where you hear your pulse in your ears.) Now I am battling vertigo! Doc says I do not have Ménière’s nor do I have benign proximal positional vertigo. Went through two and a half hours of testing! Doc says I have loss of vestibular nerve in my left ear caused by a virus. She said she’s seen an inordinate amount of my exact case this year. I’m skeptical. All this stuff came on after I weened off Effexor. And I mean I weened slowly Extremely slowly. I took 18 months to ween off the last 37.5 mg.

I now take seroquel and zoloft and feel more like myself. (Not crying everyday now. )

I hate that I’m on meds but I’m slowly coming to terms with it. Realizing that I need something and that my body functions more like a normal person on meds than not on meds.

Take care.

I've been taking Effexor for 16 or 17 years. It stopped working 2 years ago. I've been weaning down from 300 mg of Effexor for over a year now. I'm at 37.5 every other day and it's been rough. Flu like symptoms and the electric shocks and of course anxiety. My plan has been wean down a step, hold steady at this dose for 4 weeks, then wean down again, hold stead for 4 weeks etc. I am taking a truck load of other meds to help with the weaning: Cymbalta, Buspirone and Gabapentin. They seem to help. At my current rate, I'll be off Effexor mid Feb 2020. Then hopefully drop some of these other meds after my body adjusts to the new normal. I imagine I'll be taking Cymbalta for like, ever. My problem is anxiety primarily but depression is a close second.