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Tips on minimizing withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)
Depression & Anxiety | Last Active: 3 days ago | Replies (6299)Comment receiving replies
"Messing up my tapering" is understating it—going to 37.5 mg from 175 mg overnight is like being pushed off a cliff.
"The decision was made to keep me on the 37.5 and ride it out." Again, wow! Only you know how you feel. Many times doctors are more optimistic than their patients find comfortable regarding how quickly you drop and how steep the drops should be.
Skipping days puts you into withdrawal every other day.
Getting off Effexor is a marathon, not a sprint. You may want to consider going back to a dose where you didn't have any WD symptoms, staying there until stabilized before attempting ANY more tapering and when you do taper again, note that folks are usually more successful dropping no more than 5–10% at a time and staying at the new level for weeks (even months) AND stabilizing before dropping again.
Replies to ""Messing up my tapering" is understating it—going to 37.5 mg from 175 mg overnight is like..."
I cant stress strongly enough how important it is to taper by the smallest amounts over a long period. So important. 175 to 37.5 overnight is torture and l can't believe a Dr would recommend that. And that is another issue. How man GPS are properly qualified to prescribe these meds. It should be handled by Drs who specialise in MENTAL ILLNESSES. Even then it is not easy to find the med that suits the patient.
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I have been on 75ml for 11 years. I got sick of living in limbo so l decided to try slowly tapering off. I started taking it every 36 hours instead of daily and did this for a fortnight. I then started to alternate 75 and 37.5 every 36 hours. No problems. Then 37.5 each 36 hours for 3 weeks. No problems. I started to use less of the little granules then went to every 2 days then gradually stretching it out over 3 days for a week. No problems. Now after 3 months l am taking just a few granules every 4 or 5 days. I get mild zaps but not so bad. I do find l am a bit teary where when l was on full dose l went years without sheddding a tear. Maybe my emotions are coming back. I also find l get angry where l wasn't like that either. I guess if my depression and anxiety was still there l should know that by now. That is what people who are coming off it should think of. They are going to have a hard time if they are still suffering the old problem that put them on the meds in the first place. What a horrible gene to be born with. I hate it that l passed it on to my son who is in a very bad place with it at the moment. He is a broken man. So sad.
SENDING LOVE AND PRAYERS TO ALL SUFFERING MENTAL ILLNESS 🙏❤