Tips on minimizing withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)

My anxiety is never completely in control. Other than that I really haven’t been doing too bad. Everyone is so different though. Some people can just go off and on antidepressants and Benzos with no problems at all. I still haven’t stopped the Valium and Prozac completely. I could have a whole different story then.😬

@sears , you mentioned in one of your earlier posts that at a point in time, your benzo "turned on you". What symptoms were you having when you described this? I am curious because I am thinking the same thing happened with me and klonopin.

It’s hard to explain. I was becoming agoraphobic, depressed and more anxious. I would take a dose and feel as though it was no longer working. I was feeling unsteady and off balance. It was awful and my doctor of 25 years abandoned me when I told him what was going on and that I felt my body was telling me to get off this drug. I was 66 at the time. I live in a large city and it was hard finding a doctor who would take my case. Luckily I found one in a neighboring state. I think your body and mind just knows when it’s time to stop. I hope this doesn’t sound goofy, I’m really not goofy, it’s just hard to explain. I just knew. It happened quickly. Almost from one day to the next.

Hi - I am also tapering off of Effexor. I'm sharing my story to add another voice to say that this is really, really hard and you are not alone. It makes me feel less alone to read all of your posts. Effexor was working for me but I didn't want to continue on a medication that had such miserable side effects if I missed just one dose. I had a particularly ugly experience after vomiting and not knowing whether I had also vomited up my medications, so I didn't take another dose. That was a horrible day. As I've gone off, I've ramped up on Pristiq and have been taking Lorazapam (Ativan) to help with the side effects. Even with the Pristiq and Ativan and talk therapy, it's been really, really hard. I have anxiety, insomnia, feel dizzy and lose my balance, feel loopy and have trouble concentrating. Trying to work full-time and parent and be a human while this is going on is rough. I went off it completely 2 weeks ago and had to go back on. So I'm holding steady at 37.5 mg for a couple (few?) more weeks, then alternating 37.5 every other day for ... I don't know how long. I've been taking anti-depressants for over 25 years and Effexor is by far the most difficult taper I've experienced. Hang in there everyone. We are not alone.

It's the hardest thing I've ever had to do, I'm only 2 days off and I've just increased my prozac today, I can cope with most of it but the anxiety and severe restlessness is the worst. Diazepam doesn't even take the edge off but they won't give me anything stronger, on a waiting list for a CPN but who knows how long that'll be..how long you been taking effexor and when did you introduce pristiq?

After 10 days, I'm slowly getting better. My doctor said could take up to 2 weeks.

Yay! That’s great news!

Day 5 no effexor and day 3 upping the prozac to 40mg, guts are still all over the place. Lost 12lb so far...one bonus I guess. Morning anxiety the worst, did get a few good hours yesterday which I'm holding on to. This is one hell of a journey

Ask your doctor if he would consider some low dose Valium to help you through this rough period. Some will, some won’t.

I am taking valium and propranolol too, I don't think it really helps. Just trying to ride it out the best I can. How are you doing?