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Tips on minimizing withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)
Depression & Anxiety | Last Active: 4 days ago | Replies (6296)Comment receiving replies
I just came across this group and am grateful for it. I am on week 4 of tapering with Effexor and the struggle is real. This has been so hard and I’ve been tempted to either stop all together or just go back on it. I want to cry a lot but no tears come, it is just the physical feeling of crying and it comes out of nowhere. I get up at 4am and pace for an hour. I am not a runner at all and the other day I sprinted a block and a half because of the frantic feeling I was experiencing. I either want to stuff myself full of Hershey kisses or never eat again. Therapy helps but this is really hard and tough I think for people who have not experienced it to truly grasp. Thank you for being here.
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Withdrawal symptoms are the big tip off that you are tapering too fast; tapering off slowly minimizes them. You and your doctor (if it's his/her tapering plan) might want to reconsider the speed at which you are tapering and the amount you are dropping with each taper.
You can click on my name and read my previous posts. 9/26/2020 has links to articles about helpful supplements and ways your doctor can mitigate/ease withdrawal.
@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. I certainly recognize your need to run and pace—it's a fight, or flight reaction. Distraction helps—reading, hobbies, work, chores, gardening, exercise, etc. I was mindful of what I watched (nothing frenetic, violent, or disturbing), read (cozy mysteries, or romances were good), or listened to (no atonal, or dissonant music)–some things were just too agitating. Getting natural light to my eyes was extremely beneficial for lifting my mood and calming me ... not 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.