Hi,
I am currently tampering off of Effexor. I am in the beginning of month 3 of this process. Each month, I reduce the amount by 37.5mg. At the start of each reduction, I have gotten diarrhea & short lasting abdominal queasiness. Last month the queasiness occurred over a longer time period than the actual diarrhea. I have been using Metamucil as a supplement and eating yogurt on a daily basis. When I feel queasy I also eat Saltine style crackers. I have been trying to use exercise (powerlifting 3 days a week & cardio at least 2 days a week) as a natural means to replace the serotonin. The first month I was aware that I was more irritable than normal & was teary on several occasions. This past reduction, I noticed I became teary & was engaged in ruminating thoughts. That observation allowed me to change my behavior which ended the tears. I am also more sensitive than normal to heat. Although I no longer feel depressed, I am continuing to see my therapist on a weekly basis through out this process. This is the second time I have tappered my amount of Effexor. The first time was a disaster. My then-psychiatrist recommended too big of a jump. I quickly ended up back on the prior dosage. This time my goal is getting off of it completely.

I would love suggestions as to what else I can try for the gastro issues.