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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brownikl1 | @brownikl1 | Nov 16, 2019

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???

REPLY
2 replies
Leonard | @jakedduck1 | Nov 16, 2019
In reply to @brownikl1 "I only was on Effexor for about a year and a half. 37.5. For hot flashes..." + (show)
@brownikl1

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???

Jump to this post

@brownikl1
Did you stop abruptly?

REPLY
2 replies
Leonard | @jakedduck1 | Nov 16, 2019
In reply to @brownikl1 "I did." + (show)
@brownikl1

I did.

Jump to this post

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

REPLY
1 reply
brownikl1 | @brownikl1 | Nov 16, 2019
In reply to @jakedduck1 "@brownikl1 That’s probably why your going through the withdrawals. Effexor needs to be stopped slowly, VERY..." + (show)
@jakedduck1

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

Jump to this post

I've been off of it for over 6 months now but the boat head seems worse lately.

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brownikl1 | @brownikl1 | Nov 16, 2019

Feel tippy like I've been on a boat in wavey water all day and got onto dry land but my head is still in the waves. Kind of throbbing (not pain tbough) in my head too.

REPLY
secretwhitepop | @secretwhitepop | Nov 16, 2019
In reply to @brownikl1 "I only was on Effexor for about a year and a half. 37.5. For hot flashes..." + (show)
@brownikl1

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???

Jump to this post

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.

REPLY
2 replies
brownikl1 | @brownikl1 | Nov 17, 2019
In reply to @secretwhitepop "Hi. When you say “throbbing/pulsing” can you describe more? I developed “pulsatile tinnitus” after going off..." + (show)
@secretwhitepop

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.

Jump to this post

It's definitely like you describe I think. Like a swooshing sound of the blood flow to the heart beat. Not loud. The part that makes me crazy is the dizziness and also the throbbing seems to be on the back of my head usually more in the evening. On my way home from work many days I feel like I need to hold my head with my hand or arm to "stabiluze".....VERY VERY weird.

REPLY
1 reply
Lisa Lucier | @lisalucier | Nov 17, 2019
In reply to @spec "I've been taking Effexor for 16 or 17 years. It stopped working 2 years ago. I've..." + (show)
@spec

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.

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How's it been going this weekend, @spec, with your weaning process and side effects?

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