Tips on minimizing withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)

Ha! Whole new career path sounds great and after finally finishing school after 53 yrs, it seems the next logical step. No gumption, no initiative and no ability to organize my own days make that seem impossible. No patience either! At the same time every outing comes with tears as kids ask when I’m coming back to school. Has anyone kicked this and got themselves back to where they could resume the life they had?
And....if I’m better, the expectation that I must resume work and responsibilities returns. That’s terrifying but the option is staying sick.

It's now 11:38 am, my second day 75 to 37.5... feeling light headed, a bit dizzy and getting dizzier, and hungry. It started out so well.

Hello, I am Bright Wings. When I came here, there were 141 pages on this topic. Now there are how many???
Many have come before you and suffered, or not.
Go start reading, learn from others that came before you.
There is no easy way to get off this horrendous rollercoaster of withdrawal but you can make the roller coaster drops easier.
Click on my name to read my whole story.

DO NOT DO WHAT I DID.

How bad it gets for you, depends on what you do from today on.

Also, it's important to keep your mind busy. Study something. Pick up a guitar or do something you used to love. TAKE AN ACTION.
Keeping your mind busy keeps it off your misery.

CBD, CBD, CBD.
GO GET IT TODAY.

I wish you well, but it going to be a while.

Today I lead a triumphant life. Smiling at you,
Bright Wings, flying cuz I take action.

There are too many pages. If I start spiraling I'll go back up to 75 mg and regroup. CBD... there's a whole other page of back-n-forth. Where to get it for starters. I'm a total novice and have no idea what that's all about.

I use Lazarzus naturals. Company in Oregon. To order my CBD.
I also have multiple sclerosis. So I was using 2500 mg a month.
Our brains are equipped with receptors for CBD.
It completes something in our wiring.
It's your choice to learn from others or suffer.
I had a stroke from getting off effexor.
Yes, your choice how hard this gets.
I wish you well.
Bright Wings

@ksad
I feel your frustration. Hang in there.
Right now your brain is being flooded with signals that things are wrong from the drop in effexor.
"This too shall pass" is a motto I use when I am not in control.
Read, read read here.
It will get easier, if you do what we did to make it easier.
I have been on this page for 2 years. Each person comes and wants a way to feel better. NOW!
It's not going to happen.
Read, read read. Then do what we did.
There is no way to write out the steps for each person who comes.
I wish you well. Bright Wings

I have read everything... all very useful. It's just a bit of a mishmash. So, you mention "I WAS using 2500 mg." When you went off Effexor? When you had a stroke? How much do you take now? And, why? Thank you!

I was taking 150 mg of effexor. I had been on antidepressants for 33 years. This was my last medicine of 16 to get off of. The worse one too.
I went cold turkey. Result was I had a stroke.
I am completely recovered now cuz I do what ever it takes.
You are dropping to fast. You will suffer hard.
Someone here is the expert on opening capsules to count out so many beads to cut your dosage easier. It takes longer, but keeping your mind and body moving helps tremendously. Do what ever it takes!
BTW, I am an RN.
I used to order from Lazarus natural. Now I make it myself.
Start with 25 mg of CBD a couple times a day. Incease it to 3 times a day if necessary. Your body will tell you how much you need. Listen to it.

SO glad you have an accommodating principal. And also, your 186 days of leave were earned! That’s what they’re there for.

If it helps I, too, work in a middle school. There’s nothing worse than knowing how fun I used to be and now not being able to be that person. I’m working on it and I’m back on antidepressants. I’m now just struggling with stupid constant dizziness...

But anyway, hoping that knowing there are many of us in your shoes will somehow comfort you 🙂

It will get better. It will.

A few days in, maybe a week, I started getting really irritable.. like raging irritability... “ If that happens, know it’s temporary and will pass.