Tips on minimizing withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)

@ksad
@tgbobbi
@harrington
I was on Effexor for 18 years (25mg for hot flashes)–be aware that it gets stored in body fat; you're not really off Effexor UNTIL that gets used up as well.

Antidepressants are VERY powerful; Effexor affects your brain's neurotransmitters–serotonin and norepinephrine. While reducing, or after getting off Effexor, it takes your brain a while to figure out how to rebalance serotonin and norepinephrine. Some of us even experience extended withdrawal symptoms (PAWS). I have been off Effexor for two+ years; I STILL occasionally have episodes of anxiety and agitation, but my withdrawal effects have improved GREATLY. If it weren't for COVID-19 lockdown isolation and no longer having the distraction of work, I'd probably not even notice them.

My withdrawal symptoms didn't begin until about six weeks after my last tapered dose. I was prescribed Valium short-term by a Care Now doctor when my akathisia and anxiety became overwhelming. She had me take 5mg Valium twice a day for three days straight (I stayed home from work) to "get ahead of the anxiety." Her "get ahead of it" strategy was pretty effective, but she prescribed 15 more tablets to use as needed and I'll take a half for those occasional episodes if they seem to be building.

I did not want to rely on Valium and through trial-and-error came up with a number of OTC medications and supplements that help me and have listed the supplements I take in previous posts (click on my name to go back through and read). The most helpful are l-tryptophan (DO NOT take while still on Effexor) and GABA. Ben*dryl, Bon*ine, or other seasickness remedies can reduce/minimize the dizziness/vertigo. Fish oil may be more helpful than krill oil for brain zaps. Here's a good article re how to mitigate withdrawal effects with supplements–https://www.4mind4life.com/effexor-withdrawal-symptoms.

Back in December, @cp6401 used the term "stress fragile" to describe how so many of us are during the process of getting off/reducing Effexor and even, afterwards. Distraction helps—reading, hobbies, work, chores, gardening, exercise, etc. I am mindful of what I watch (nothing frenetic, violent, or disturbing), read (cozy mysteries, or romances), or listen to (no atonal, or dissonant music)–some things are just too agitating. Also, very important–I learned how beneficial getting natural light to my eyes is to lifting my mood and calming me. I'm not suggesting sunbathing, but getting out and seeing daylight--take a walk, or at least, get out of your house for 5–10 minutes, even if it's just stepping out onto a patio.

My experience sounds very similar to yours. I break the tablets up within the capsules to lower the dose extremely slowly. I’m down to a smidgeon but still get side effects if I am late with the dose. (nausea, vertigo and brain zaps) I’m limited to the doctors I can access and the ones I see just treat me as neurotic and show no interest in researching side effects other than saying you shouldn’t go cold turkey. They offer other drugs. I was put on it for hot flushes. It is a bad drug and being dished out without the proper research being conducted into the significant life changing withdrawal symptoms.
I suggest that doctors take it for a month during their training and try coming off it. It would soon disappear off the prescribed drugs list. It may save some lives by turning you into a zombie, but I bet it has taken many more. My husband said he could have told me the house burnt down and I would have replied “Oh well", and smiled. Inside I was just waiting to die. It should not be legal, especially to the young whose whole lives could be ruined. If I was going out to work at the moment I don’t know how I would cope....and all because I sort help for menopausal hot flushes.
Depression is part of life and being with family or friends and getting out of the house is the best treatment in my experience. All the very best to everyone and let’s hope this discussion and others like it prompt researchers to look more closely at the terrible withdrawal experience of many venlafaxine users.

I meant sought help 🙂

Welcome @eoz. I noticed that you wished to post a URL to a web resource with your post. You will be able to add URLs to your posts in a few days. There is a brief period where new members can't post links. We do this to deter spammers and keep the community safe. Clearly the link you wanted to post is not spam, so I added it to your post and here.

- Withdrawal Symptoms after Serotonin-Noradrenaline Reuptake Inhibitor Discontinuation: Systematic Review https://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/491524

Can you share what you found enlightening in this systematic review? How long have you been tapering off Effexor?

Hi,

The following is the important message to physicians and their training institutes. This review identifies many unanswered questions around the use of Venlafaxine. It identifies that different users will have different experiences and as yet there is no way of identifying how users will be affected. At the moment, patients like myself, are akin to laboratory guinea pigs, but without the benefit of anyone studying us to see what is going on. I am not happy that so many individuals are being treated like this.

"Clinicians are familiar with the withdrawal phenomena that may occur from alcohol, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, opioids, and stimulants [81]. The results of this review indicate that they need to add SNRI to the list of drugs potentially inducing withdrawal phenomena, as was found to be the case with SSRI [2], and the physician should exercise caution when prescribing them (particularly venlafaxine and desvenlafaxine) in mood and anxiety disorders. Considerable attention should also be used in the setting of chronic pain (e.g. duloxetine [82]), functional medical disorders and menopausal symptoms.”

I intend to contact the therapeutic goods administration and enquire as to what studies were used to inform them of Venlafaxine's safety. (I’ll try anyway)

I have been tapering off for three weeks now and during that time have educated myself on what venlafaxine actually does.....leaves serotonin floating around the brain. I highly recommend to the Mayo Clinic to produce animated videos of what these mind altering drugs do, so that patients, that walk back out onto the street, can make informed decisions and are given a cooling off period to decide whether they wish to go ahead.

There needs to be much tighter protocols around the use of Venlafaxine if we are to maintain our trust in physicians.

All the best

@eoz
How are you tapering?
Jake

The capsules I got have three small capsules inside so I began with 2 1/2 then 2 1/4 and so on.I had already come down from 75mg to 37.5mg. Be very careful about dispensing with the leftovers. Some capsules have granules, so this is harder. Mine was Effexor so hopefully yours have capsules.

Colleen, Thank you for posting the URL submitted by @eoz. The only problem is the print is horrible for me to even try to read. Did other people have that problem? I think it's all in capital letters which are running into each other. That's the only way I know how to describe it. I have been prescribed some of these meds and some of them I had filled, read the paperwork, then I shoved them in a drawer and never took them. I didn't realize some of the feelings I had were actually symptoms of taking and stopping the prescriptions. I just thought I was a mental case.

Have any of you experienced this emotional response from taking Ambien to sleep at night? I love Ambien because I go to sleep and stay asleep. But, I became an emotional mess during the day. I would cry for no apparent reason. I was not handling any situation well. I took myself off of it. I saw this same symptom in my two sisters and advised them to stop taking it and they did.

Hi @woogie, the document reads well for me on my computer. Are you looking at it on a computer screen or on a phone?
You can try this PDF format, which may work better for you on a computer. It won't read easily on a mobile device. https://www.karger.com/Article/PDF/491524