Tips on minimizing withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)

Spoiler alert - this is a downer. Here's my experience. I went off effexor about 20 years ago - (too quickly) withdrawal was the pits and it included tinnitus (ringing.) Went to PCP and ENT docs trying to get some relief. Unfortunately, there is no cure for tinnitus - I didn't know that at the time. So grasping at straws - went on xanax but hated it. So, long story short. I still have tinnitus and really had gotten used to the continuous, low level ringing. (Avoided as much stress and caffeine as possible.) However, about 2 years ago I started coming off lamotrigine (again too quickly) and now have a 4-alarm bell ringing in my left ear and pulsitile tinnitus in the right ear (only intermittent.) This is in addition to the lower frequency ringing. Now have insomnia from seroquel withdrawals (did titration on that one correctly.) So, I'm pretty miserable unless I stay busy - so I stay busy. The insomnia is getting better - I have a fitbit watch that helps me track the amount and quality of sleep. I have an appointment with an ENT next week (but not looking for much hope there.) Just as an aside - PC found an irregular heartbeat last year while I was on seroquel and referred me to a cardiologist who also found an irregular heart beat - my EKG yesterday was totally normal. I told the Doc he wouldn't like the obvious - but I wasn't on seroquel anymore. Thank goodness for this website and the resources. Started reading "Anatomy of an Epidemic" and listening to Mad In America podcasts - finally some answers. I'm currently slowly titrating off 5 mg Trintellix and 12.5 mg of lorazepam. I'm encouraged about sleeping at least 5 hrs a night - that's better than 2 or 3. So at least there is some hope there. : )

Docs can be flippant about prescribing meds. And some docs think the only reason you’re seeing them is to get a prescription! It’s so scary because, those of us who have NOT gone to med school, we put our faith in them and their knowledge. And while I do t think all docs have a nefarious nature, I DO think that the pressure of having to see so many patients in order to stay afloat plays a big part in their care. Plus the fact that drug companies push their products and offer “incentives”. It sickens me. While writing this my head “whirled” twice. I don’t know what it is, after extensive testing I apparently have some vestibular nerve damage. After more testing the ENT I’m seeing stated there’s nothing she can do for me. So now what? I’ve been off Effexor for almost one year... but BACK on zoloft and seroquel (labeled as an antipsychotic). I feel, as many people appear to feel, completely and utterly at the mercy of these meds. Damned if we do and damned if we don’t.

This is disheartening my fellow venlafaxine warriors. I think we soldier on, tapering off this terrible stuff with caution and care. I'm on day three complete withdrawal , not lots of fun, minor brain zapping, but a bit dizzy - i feel overwhelmed a lot, I can't seem to un-chaos my life. Do you guys experience what I am calling 'noise pollution'? Noise is bothering me a lot, and light............not a jolly picture am I?

I, too, developed pulsatile tinnitus. I had no friggin idea what that even was until I started hearing my heart beat in my ears! This is just too much of a coincidence to be a coincidence. Tell me, did you ever experience any phantom smells? Bad smells like cigarette smoke when no one around is smoking? It’s like these pills are hallucinogens or something!

This is disheartening my fellow venlafaxine warriors. I think we soldier on, tapering off this terrible stuff with caution and care. I'm on day three complete withdrawal , not lots of fun, minor brain zapping, but a bit dizzy - i feel overwhelmed a lot, I can't seem to un-chaos my life. Do you guys experience what I am calling 'noise pollution'? Noise is bothering me a lot, and light............not a jolly picture am I?