@kirsty29
Good morning,
I'm curious after your withdrawal symptoms started why didn't you go back to the 37.5 for a while then taper by counting out x number of beads every so often? The probability of having withdrawal symptoms likely would have been significantly reduced if any at all. Both the length of time you were on this medication and your dose are important factors when calculating a taper.
Jake

It sounds like your journey to come off Venlafaxine has mirrored mine, admittedly I didn't start at the same high dose as yourself but I too stopped at 37.5mg and then nothing. I am on day 7 today without the drug and I feel like I have come out the other side... the flu symptoms have disappeared, I am sleeping better (already!), the sweating is easing, as are the nightmares. The most uncomfortable effects for me have been dizziness, brain zaps, nausea and diarrhoea... today I have no nausea or diarrhoea, the brain zaps are there but they are becoming less noticeable; I do still feel the same amount of dizziness but I can cope with that, I am working from home, don't need to drive and so I am happy to sit this one out until it ebbs.

@jakedduck1 - may I offer my reasons for not tapering past 37.5mg. Like @kirsty29 I am taking the tablet form of Venlafaxine (sorry if I have interpreted this incorrectly), this is the lowest possible therapeutic form of the drug unless you wanted to split the drug; there isn't the opportunity to count beads unless one switches to the capsule form. This was offered to me as an alternative but my reasons for the choices I made were as follows...
I wanted to drop the drug entirely over the shortest time possible, my GP said I could do this at 37.5mg without relapse of depressive symptoms... bear in mind I had been at this dose for at least 6 months, my GP left it up to me for when I was ready. He did offer to switch me to the capsule form so I could count beads but, my main question to him was, is this likely to prolong the withdrawal symptoms I am likely to feel?... he said yes... that was enough for me not to do it. I knew there were going to be unbearable withdrawal symptoms, I was prepared for lying in bed for days if necessary, I just wanted it to last for the least amount of time possible.

Here I am on day 7 and I feel like the worst is over; I can live with the symptoms I have for weeks / months if necessary. I feel so proud of myself, I feel like I have done it already and the clarity of mind I am experiencing right now is something I haven't felt since taking the drug. I naively thought at the start of this journey that, based on the half life of the drug, I should be home free after 3 days - tops - how wrong was I? Nevertheless, on day 7 I feel like there is light at the end of the tunnel, I am closer to normal now than I have felt in a long time, I feel hopeful... the end is near xxx

How come you didn’t open the capsule and count beads? It would be easier on ya... but glad you’re hanging in there. I predict you’re going to be successful!