Tips on minimizing withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)

I would appreciate any input about anyone's experience with this. This is my only psychotropic drug remaining. I am a Retired RN and gave undergone successful deprescribing of other rxs. It is time for me. I have past trauma history and yes been psychiatry " victim" long enough.

Has anybody ever completely gotten off antidepressants? And live a normal life? No brain damage, no nothing? It seems like we’re all stuck on these meds for life.

@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

Has anybody ever completely gotten off antidepressants? And live a normal life? No brain damage, no nothing? It seems like we’re all stuck on these meds for life.

What is the 5-10 method?

Yes, although I don’t know if what I had was actually depression to be honest. I went to my doctor and she said I was depressed I disagreed however I agreed to take Celebrex and I took it for maybe 3 to 4 months and then I went off of it with no problem. My brain damage is was caused from three years of comas about 10 of them but longest lasted eight months. I decided one day to except whatever life throws at me and to cope with it. I am a very happy person. I don’t have any anxiety. I believe in dealing with whatever comes along in life. If I did have depression it was obviously mild.
Jake

@jakedduck1 Good for you, I am so glad that you don't need the anti-depressants. There are us who has inherited mental illness. Alot in my family has some sort of mental illness, The worse is my son who is bipolar 1. I am just depressive and anxiety complex. Had previously been diagnosed as bipolar 2. But my mom took her own life at 69. I'm 68 and will be 69 soon. I just can't imagine doing that there is too much in life to enjoy, even though I'm depressed now I think it was from that long 9 hour surgery on my back. I can't bend, twist. or lift anything too heavy. I'm on Lexapro and from a message on this post heard it can make you lose bone mass. My bones are soft and I'm on an injectable med to help to strengthen my bones. Best wishes to you
Wow, 3 years of comas, what caused them?

Hi @hopeful33250 and @linxy. Teresa, it's hard to know what the brain zaps are unless you have had them, but for anyone who has gone off of one of these anti-depressants, it's a common side effect. It feels like a slight electrical current that runs through your brain. They are usually not painful but they are very strange and disconcerting. (Some people also get them as a side effect of the meds or when increasing their dosage). In my case, I got them anytime I moved my head too sharply. The good news is that once you're fully off the meds, they usually go away within a few weeks. Mine did at least.