1. < Depression & Anxiety
Profile picture for richyrich

Tips on minimizing withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)?

Posted by richyrich @richyrich, Nov 2, 2016

I have been taking Effexor/Venlafaxine for years and tried to get off it a few times but each time I try to give up the chemical withdrawal symptoms are a horror story and I give up giving up. Anyone got any tips or tried and tested strategies? Thank you

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Depression & Anxiety Support Group.

Profile picture for mahi1404
mahi1404 | @mahi1404 | 1 day ago
In reply to @sallyo420 "I went off 150mg of Effexor in January. I had NO withdrawal symptoms because I used..." + (show)
Profile picture for sallyo420 @sallyo420

I went off 150mg of Effexor in January. I had NO withdrawal symptoms because I used a Prozac bridge. I gradually switched to Prozac until I was only on Prozac. Then going off of Prozac was very easy. I have no idea why this isn't recommended to everyone going off Effexor? Ridiculous. You do not have to suffer.

Jump to this post

@sallyo420 hello i have heard that getting off prozac is also pretty difficult. Do you have any more information on this?

REPLY
Profile picture for sallyo420
sallyo420 | @sallyo420 | 1 day ago

For me, I have gone off Prozac a number of times with no problem whatsoever. Every doctor I have spoken to agrees that Prozac has a long 1/2 life which makes it much easier to go off of. Effexor has a short 1/2 life which is why it is so hard to go off of. For me, if I missed a dose, after 6 hrs. I would start feeling dizzy and nauseous. I have never found a source saying Prozac is difficult to get off of. I would question your sources.

REPLY
2 replies
Profile picture for njoys
njoys | @njoys | 9 hours ago
In reply to @sallyo420 "For me, I have gone off Prozac a number of times with no problem whatsoever. Every..." + (show)
Profile picture for sallyo420 @sallyo420

For me, I have gone off Prozac a number of times with no problem whatsoever. Every doctor I have spoken to agrees that Prozac has a long 1/2 life which makes it much easier to go off of. Effexor has a short 1/2 life which is why it is so hard to go off of. For me, if I missed a dose, after 6 hrs. I would start feeling dizzy and nauseous. I have never found a source saying Prozac is difficult to get off of. I would question your sources.

Jump to this post

@sallyo420 If you "have gone off Prozac a number of times," then that implies you returned to the drug for some reason--which is not the same as a successful discontinuation.
There are plenty of reliable sources which indicate that Prozac requires tapering to stop; it can be difficult for some.

REPLY
Profile picture for cas2001
cas2001 | @cas2001 | 58 minutes ago
In reply to @sallyo420 "For me, I have gone off Prozac a number of times with no problem whatsoever. Every..." + (show)
Profile picture for sallyo420 @sallyo420

For me, I have gone off Prozac a number of times with no problem whatsoever. Every doctor I have spoken to agrees that Prozac has a long 1/2 life which makes it much easier to go off of. Effexor has a short 1/2 life which is why it is so hard to go off of. For me, if I missed a dose, after 6 hrs. I would start feeling dizzy and nauseous. I have never found a source saying Prozac is difficult to get off of. I would question your sources.

Jump to this post

@sallyo420 no I had no trouble coming off of Prozac either.

REPLY
Profile picture for cas2001
cas2001 | @cas2001 | 1 minute ago
In reply to @sallyo420 "@hoping25 I am not familiar with this medication but I would ask your doctor is the..." + (show)
Profile picture for sallyo420 @sallyo420

@hoping25 I am not familiar with this medication but I would ask your doctor is the prozac bridge would work for you with this medication. If not, is there another medication you can use as a bridge. I first searched the internet and found the Prozac bridge for Effexor worked well for others so I told my doctor I wanted to try it. Search the internet for your medication and what bridge may work. Going off these medications is insane and brutal. Hopefully, you will be lucky and find something like I did. Prozac is pretty versatile and easy to get off of. These withdrawal systems are almost inhuman. Doctors are so afraid of being sued they won't offer meds without a protocol. For some reason, they don't seem to care about the withdrawal symptoms. They have obviously never been through it.

Jump to this post

@sallyo42yes Drs dont seem too concerned ...maybe thats why they rather you stay on them! Effexor is apparently similar to coming off of Pristiq, according to local pharmacist. He said have compounding keep making lower doses. Dont go slowly from 50mg to 5mg then stop after few weeks.....go to 3.75mg. Who'd want to be on this stuff again! Expensive too, compounding.

REPLY
Please sign in or register to post a reply.