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Tips on minimizing withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)
Depression & Anxiety | Last Active: 4 days ago | Replies (6363)Comment receiving replies
@seashore
I disagree about taking this pharmaceutical off of the market. I certainly agree with you on the following statement ” Doctors must try to grow some compassion for mental health patients.” The pharmaceutical company who developed this medication failed to do adequate testing & provide discontinuation procedures so we can’t totally blame the doctors although they should know by now from having enough complaints by their patients that they’re stopping this medication too quickly. A psychiatrist in France was taking this medication and he decided to discontinue this medication the same way he prescribed his patients to stop and obviously he had withdrawl symptoms. Then he stopped at a later time and he use the 5-10% method and it was very successful, he had no withdrawal symptoms at all and now he advocates the 5-10% method. It’s a shame people don’t come here first and read this thread to educate themselves on others experiences, if they did they wouldn’t have to experience the awful withdrawal symptoms. Obviously patients don’t have to obey their doctor and take these large cuts and suffer the withdrawal symptoms. But this drug does help a large number of patients so again I disagree that it should be taken off of the market. However I do believe the pharmaceutical company should educate the physicians who prescribe it.
Take care,
Jake
Replies to "@seashore I disagree about taking this pharmaceutical off of the market. I certainly agree with you..."
What is the 5-10 method?
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Jake -
I'm stunned by your heartless response.
You write: "It’s a shame people don’t come here first and read this thread to educate themselves on others experiences, if they did they wouldn’t have to experience the awful withdrawal symptoms." What an utterly odd thing to say. I didn't know this site existed until yesterday! Shouldn’t doctors and pharmaceutical companies be accurately advising patients?
You seem confused about how I have come off Effexor. I did not disobey my doctor and take “large cuts.” We discussed the process and I took 6 months – that’s six months - to taper down and off. Do you consider that "stopping this medication too quickly"?
Many patients have shared their difficult experiences with Effexor on message boards over the past 20 or so years. You admit that doctors and pharmaceutical companies have not focused enough on testing and discontinuation. Prior to starting Effexor 12 years ago, I discussed the side effects and withdrawal experiences Effexor patients were describing on message boards with my doctor and my doctor dismissed those experiences.
You write: “…this drug does help a large number of patients…” Effexor helped me! But it is not worth the nasty side effects and withdrawal experiences. There are other equally effective antidepressants available without Effexor’s downsides. This is why I advocate for removing Effexor from the market. Perhaps then doctors and pharmaceutical companies will be held to a higher standard.