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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Sherman | @shermananski | Feb 29, 2020
In reply to @secretwhitepop "Something that helped me while I was med-free was meditation. I downloaded an App, but there..." + (show)
@secretwhitepop

Something that helped me while I was med-free was meditation. I downloaded an App, but there are some free quick guided meditations on you tube. I found one called “daily calm” that really helped.

Now... finding the time to actually DO it was another story 🙂

Good luck!

Ps: my niece became pregnant and went off al her meds successfully! So there’s hope! Don’t give up! But also, go easy on yourself.

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Highly recommend meditation! Totally centers me. When anxiety ruled my life I wish I had this tool.

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secretwhitepop | @secretwhitepop | Feb 29, 2020
In reply to @bonny2020 "My husband was on veniz xr 75+ 75 for 4 years, for tremor etc he has..." + (show)
@bonny2020

My husband was on veniz xr 75+ 75 for 4 years, for tremor etc he has decided to off the med, his doctor first made the dose into 75,. Brain zap, heaviness on head, and very much vomiting happen for two weeks, mood change also occur, doctor has prescribed revortril .25 for 15 days. After two weeks vomiting stopped,then she made the dose 37.5 for one month. Then she said to stop. After stopping the med my husband tremendously vomited, for three weeks, nothing he can eat, cannot sleep, finally his GP advice to start veniz 37.5 again . Vomiting stopped totally. Now again his dose is 75. No more vomiting, but he has motion sickness tremendously which was not before.anyonne can help?

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Perhaps he has vertigo? Meclizine may help him and also physical therapy. I developed vertigo and dizziness which came with vomiting. I hope t h is helps.

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anne2019 | @anne2019 | Feb 29, 2020

Hello again. I wanted to provide a quick update. A psychiatrist switched me from Effexor to Cymbalta as a way to taper. See previous posts for the full story (17+ years on Effexor and terrible side effects trying to taper off.) It has worked miraculously!! I am down to 40 mgs of Cymbalta and will go to 20 mgs March 4. I have had virtually NO SIDE EFFECTS! I do have occasional whoosing sensations in my head and mild dizziness, but even those fade quickly. I highly recommend this option if you can swing it!!

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texasduchess | @texasduchess | Feb 29, 2020
In reply to @bonny2020 "My husband was on veniz xr 75+ 75 for 4 years, for tremor etc he has..." + (show)
@bonny2020

My husband was on veniz xr 75+ 75 for 4 years, for tremor etc he has decided to off the med, his doctor first made the dose into 75,. Brain zap, heaviness on head, and very much vomiting happen for two weeks, mood change also occur, doctor has prescribed revortril .25 for 15 days. After two weeks vomiting stopped,then she made the dose 37.5 for one month. Then she said to stop. After stopping the med my husband tremendously vomited, for three weeks, nothing he can eat, cannot sleep, finally his GP advice to start veniz 37.5 again . Vomiting stopped totally. Now again his dose is 75. No more vomiting, but he has motion sickness tremendously which was not before.anyonne can help?

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Am not familiar with veniz, but looking online I see it is venlafaxine in other countries (India, Myanmar, etc.). Your husband's taper was/is too fast, too steep; big clue is that his withdrawal symptoms were much improved by going back on some of the drug and even more so by increasing the dose. Most on here trying to get off/reduce venlafaxine do better with only 5-10% drops (or even less). For his dizziness, Dram*mine, or Bon*ne (over-the-counter anti-nausea/motion sickness meds; active ingredient is meclizine--as mentioned by @secretwhitepop) helped me. Or, perhaps, those acupressure wristbands (no drug in these--good if you're trying to not add more drugs to his system)?

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1 reply
Jon | @jh31251 | Feb 29, 2020
In reply to @texasduchess "Am not familiar with veniz, but looking online I see it is venlafaxine in other countries..." + (show)
@texasduchess

Am not familiar with veniz, but looking online I see it is venlafaxine in other countries (India, Myanmar, etc.). Your husband's taper was/is too fast, too steep; big clue is that his withdrawal symptoms were much improved by going back on some of the drug and even more so by increasing the dose. Most on here trying to get off/reduce venlafaxine do better with only 5-10% drops (or even less). For his dizziness, Dram*mine, or Bon*ne (over-the-counter anti-nausea/motion sickness meds; active ingredient is meclizine--as mentioned by @secretwhitepop) helped me. Or, perhaps, those acupressure wristbands (no drug in these--good if you're trying to not add more drugs to his system)?

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Meclizine, which is now over the counter, is the best medication for the dizziness or vertigo.

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1 reply
sears | @sears | Feb 29, 2020
In reply to @bonny2020 "My husband was on veniz xr 75+ 75 for 4 years, for tremor etc he has..." + (show)
@bonny2020

My husband was on veniz xr 75+ 75 for 4 years, for tremor etc he has decided to off the med, his doctor first made the dose into 75,. Brain zap, heaviness on head, and very much vomiting happen for two weeks, mood change also occur, doctor has prescribed revortril .25 for 15 days. After two weeks vomiting stopped,then she made the dose 37.5 for one month. Then she said to stop. After stopping the med my husband tremendously vomited, for three weeks, nothing he can eat, cannot sleep, finally his GP advice to start veniz 37.5 again . Vomiting stopped totally. Now again his dose is 75. No more vomiting, but he has motion sickness tremendously which was not before.anyonne can help?

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This not the way to taper. Way too fast. Try to reason with his doctor or find a new one ASAP! There is no reason for him to suffer like this.

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bonny2020 | @bonny2020 | Mar 1, 2020
In reply to @jh31251 "Meclizine, which is now over the counter, is the best medication for the dizziness or vertigo." + (show)
@jh31251

Meclizine, which is now over the counter, is the best medication for the dizziness or vertigo.

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Thanks to all of you, we have changed the doc, he has started veniz xr again. We will certainly use the medicine named meclizine. Let's see

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laujenkins | @laujenkins | Mar 1, 2020

Hi All,
Day 5 Venlafaxine free. I read about some of you seeing a light at the end of the tunnel some days. Today, well mostly tonight, I feel that. My brain zaps were better this evening, I didn’t have much nausea. It definitely comes in waves throughout the day, but I can definitely say today was the best.
I am forever grateful for my husband who had helped so much the last few days with taking our daughter out and cooking and cleaning and letting me rest. It’s definitely a help when I can just lay around and fight through it when it’s tough.
Keeping strong! Excited to see what the future holds!! 💜

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flind | @flind | Mar 2, 2020

@laujenkins Glad to hear you are doing okay! I know what you mean - it truly helped me to have a partner for support... I can't imagine going this alone unless you had a supportive doc and responded well to a tapering medication like some have mentioned. I keep telling myself that it took awhile for my brain to adjust to this medication so it makes sense for it to take time to revert to a non-medicated state. Hang in there!

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flind | @flind | Mar 2, 2020

I'm on day 12 - venlafaxine free. The adjustments continue. I no longer have 'cotton-wool brain' but it still feels like my brain is working very hard to re-wire itself... fatigue and scatterbrain are the 'new norm' today & yesterday. I'm keeping on my supplements & exercise - praying for all the little synapses & dendrites to make the right connections again!

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