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Tips on minimizing withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)

Depression & Anxiety | Last Active: 4 days ago | Replies (6363)
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@flind

I can completely relate to your comment about the world being 'turned up too high'. It is really challenging just to muddle through a mundane day while withdrawing from this drug - add a slight stressor and it can be overwhelming. I'm on day 6 and now feeling a LOT BETTER. What I discovered is that I can go 5 days 'thinking' I am going completely insane - sensory hallucinations up the wazzoo - without 'actually' going insane. And it DOES get better. It is like a bad LSD trip - that's the thing - your poor brain is going haywire. The good news? None of it is 'real' nor is it permanent. If you can... try not to focus too hard on any one facet... hair loss, smells, sounds, swollen glands (my worst was itchy skin and some hair loss too) all of that is temporary. If you can... focus on the reality that it will pass, and you will feel better. And in the meantime - it's okay to cut yourself some slack, it's okay to cry, it's okay to not know what is happening or why, it's okay to be anxious & it's okay to do things that calm you down and help you feel better - a walk, a hot bath, watch a movie... It's not going to last forever. You will feel better. Just hang in there and be good to yourself...

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Replies to "I can completely relate to your comment about the world being 'turned up too high'. It..."
laujenkins | @laujenkins | Feb 27, 2020

I love this, thank you for this post! 💜

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ksad | @ksad | Mar 9, 2020

Thanks for the encouragement. It seems things are getting brighter and lighter. Probably accomplished more in the last week than I have in the last 6 months, and everything isn't out to get me anymore. It feels great to be able to sleep, actually sleep and not be chasing horrible thoughts and dreams. Still powering out both mentally and physically for no reason at the weirdest times but it hasn't been that long without effexor, 3 weeks.
The biggest revelation is understanding how off, how sick, how nasty I was, and the extent of physical effect the withdrawal and crash had on this poor old body. A challenge is explaining to others that we don't control our brains and how they work. We work along with them and are lucky to be able to predict what they might do but when something is wrong, because of a drug or ??, we can only try to keep up and stay safe. I have new respect for the thing inside my skull. It seems to have a life of its own.
The wanting to dissolve off the earth feeling is not there all the time and yet everything that overwhelmed 3 weeks ago still is. It is crazy following your own thoughts and your own brain sometimes...what will it do next??

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