Long term effects AFTER withdrawing from Effexor

Sounds like you’re doing well. Congratulations on your successful taper. I’m sure those remaining symptoms will dissipate eventually.

Effexor is so much worse than they say. I’ve been on it for 30 years and nobody questioned why I was still on it. I wanted off it so I could see who I really was because I had lost myself and was hopeless but I had to go back. When I took the meds, if I was 3 hours late, I’d start feeling sick and sweaty and to the point I was hurting. When I wanted off the doctor tried to ween me fairly quickly (more to that story but it’s long and involved me reporting a doctor), but as they started weening me off I thought I was dying. Literally. I started fainting, super high blood pressure (never had BP issues before), seizures???, crying episodes in public, I even had to take 2 weeks off work so my other doctor could get me back in the full dose and functional. I was almost committed to the suicide ward but ran due to lack of money…..but I could have died it was so bad. My husband even saw me randomly faint a couple times, once outside at 2 am on the ring. I didn’t remember going out there and passing out but it was on tape. I was so sweaty I looked like I had jumped into a pool and I am a very healthy person and workout. The school nurse took my BP and was like OMG!!! I want off these meds so bad but after that experience trying to ween off of them by a doctor like recommended I am terrified. Do you feel better yet? Was it that bad for you? I was previously in the hospital twice because I had missed my medications and didn’t know that was the cause of my symptoms. I was at work in my 20s and suddenly started sweating profusely and shaking and vomiting. My boss was like you need to get to the hospital. Turns out I was late to take my meds. Anything that can have that effect on you can’t be good and shouldn’t be on the market. I’ve had 30 years of severe depression and suicidal thoughts so obviously didn’t help me. Maybe they should have treated the underlying issues instead of drugging me. When kids do things like set you on fire on the bus medications don’t erase those memories and hate. I wish I could sue the drug company and not my doctor but ones from the past that never even questioned me being on them for so long. I went to see one doctor and said I don’t think they were working (had never met him before and was in there 10 min). He said then take 2. Prescribed me the much higher dose and I was stoned for a week and couldn’t function. He knew nothing about me but taking 2 was supposed to make me better. Im furious and now stuck on this stuff forever, I don’t know.

I'm really hoping I can get some help here. I was on Effexor for close to 30 years and my maximum dosage was only 75mg. About a year ago I went down to 37.5mg. In Dec. 2022 depression and panic came back so I told my GP that I needed some help and together we decided to wean me off Effexor and start me on Zoloft. I weaned off this very low dose for four weeks with zero withdrawal symptoms. I wasn't sure how I was feeling about Zoloft at this point because I was pretty much a wreck emotionally with my husband having one serious medical issue over the past 10 months. All this to say, after two weeks of having zero Effexor and zero withdrawal symptoms I suddenly developed nearly every symptom and they are horrible. I'm at the end of the second week of these symptoms now. I have severe panic disorder and am now paralyzed with fear. I have searched as much as I can stand for an answer to my question and I think if I can find an answer it may give me the courage to bring my doctor into it all at this point. My question is - is it possible to start feeling withdrawal weeks AFTER what I thought was a successful weaning? Thank you for reading this far.

Welcome @katydid36, It is possible to start feeling withdrawal weeks after successfully tapering off Effexor. I moved your post to this existing discussion:
– Long term effects AFTER withdrawing from Effexor: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/long-term-effects-after-withdrawing-from-effexor/

I did this so you can connect with other members like @mehndif79 @angey @sears @ekmclean @jakedduck1 @abcxyz @texasduchess @jacqueliner and others who have experienced this delayed effect to help understand what to expect and how to manage the side effects.

Hi Texas, I am just in process of beginning my Effexor (+ Prozac for help) taper. Anything advice? Thanks in advance. Readings, books, websites?

I take Gabapentin for restless legs syndrome and it is helpful. RLS is comorbid to ADHD which I also have.

I am starting an Effexor (with Prozac bridge) right now
My RN practioner states she has success with this method with her patients over any other strategy.

Hello. I am trying to slowly withdraw from Effexor 75 XR, but it has been tough. I have been able to drop from 75 last May to 73 currently. I can't get any lower without BAD symptoms and increased anxiety/panic. I am interested to know your taper is going with a bridge drug. I have had a gene test that says Prozac is not for me, but I suppose others might work. Please take and and I hope this works for you.

Thank you so much for your reply...I appreciate it so much. So, I have only been on this taper plan 6 days. I started this with: an addition of Prozac 10mg a day and Effoxor went down from 300 (300 a day since 2010, before that 250 since 2001) from 300 to 262.5. Each Bump down is every 8 to 10 days but the nurse practitioner states it's up to me to decide how long to stay on each plateau. So I only have one week of experience. You probably should write me and ask me after 3 months. I have experienced various things since reducing this past week but it has been tolerable. Any brains outside have been mild but I've been having bad dreams, problems sleeping, restless legs, malaise...and it's hard to know how much is the Effexor and the the addition of the Prozac And the symptoms of discontinuation. I also am ADHD and take Effexor and this medication is probably not gonna be able to be located within a 100 miles of where I live soon and that will be an additional factor. It has been often unavailable in my area for several months. This problem does not have to do with supply chain --it has to do with the increase of people that were assessed and diagnosed during the pandemic. Hope That helps. I've taken prozac before and it does have some side effects but for me they not too bad unless I decide to become sexually active.

Thank you for this!!! I’m just over 2 weeks off. I started tapering in October. I had been in Effexor (150mg Xr) for 17 years.
I’m struggling and nobody seems to understand. Everyday is getting better but it’s comforting to know I’m not alone.