Like you, my doctor's response was, "Just stay on it." So I said, No, I want off. By insisting and over two years, I am totally off Effexor. It's been about a month. What I have now is insane fatigue. I don't know if it's related. I have no underlying conditions and this is the only thing that's changed. I'm still going through tests to find out why I am so incredibly fatigued that I can't walk around the block and have difficulty breathing. The only thing that's changed is that I'm totally off Effexor. I took this horrible drug for 20 years so I am "guessing" my body is adjusting to not having it. I can only hope things will get better. I'm a little ticked off that there's so little information on line on the effects of getting off long-term Effexor or how long it takes to get back to who I was before this drug.